Preamble:

Intact and its members recognize that the individual, regardless of age or gender, has the right to their physical integrity. Intact asserts that our laws and the enforcement of those laws must be without gender or age discrimination.

Mission Statement:

Intact's purpose is to end non-therapeutic male infant circumcision. Intact works to this end through increased public awareness, legislation, and litigation. Intact also seeks to have male infant circumcision internationally recognized as a human rights violation. Intact makes a distinction between "circumcision" and the various practices involving ritual or religious cutting, and is not involved in the debate surrounding religious practices, including ritual or religious cutting.

Methods:

Intact's primary method is to use existing national and international laws and instruments to protect male infants. Additionally, Canada's medical ethics standards do not permit doctors to perform non-therapeutic infant circumcisions, and these standards can also be used to end the practice.

Definition of terms:

male infant circumcision: the surgical removal by a licensed physician of part or all of the prepuce of the penis of a baby.

ritual or religious cutting: Several religions practice various alterations or scarring of the body, carried out by traditional practitioners (non-physicians) in a non-medical setting. (See Brit or Brit Milah)

Brit or Brit Milah: the Jewish ritual of foreskin removal, which is to be distinguished from circumcision in that it is not performed by a licensed physician in a clinical setting, but rather by a Mohel (traditional practitioner), usually in the family home.

Neonatal: of a newborn child.

Prophylactic: preventing a disease or medical condition, as opposed to therapeutic. (n: prophylaxis)

Therapeutic: treatment of existing disease, as opposed to prophylactic. (n: therapy)

Mutilation: cut off or destroy the use of, render imperfect by cutting out or away part of.