Circumcision
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What is circumcision?
Circumcision is a surgical procedure that involves cutting away all or part of the foreskin of the penis. The origin of this practice remains unknown, but its widespread ritual use suggests it is an ancient practice. Circumcision is viewed as a way to mark social identity onto the body, signifying aspects like gender, purity, or maturity.
Religiously, circumcision holds significance in Judaism as a fulfillment of the covenant between God and Abraham. Medically, it involves removing the foreskin to allow its free retraction behind the glans penis. Though once considered a hygienic norm in Western countries, it is now performed out of medical or religious necessity. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends it as a tool for HIV prevention, advising that other protection methods still be used.
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Why is circumcision considered a ritual or tradition in some cultures?
Circumcision is a ritual or tradition in some cultures because it inscribes social identity onto the body, signifying gender, purity, or maturity. The timing and meanings vary across cultures. In ancient Egypt, it occurred between ages 6 and 12, while some groups perform it shortly after birth, before marriage, or at puberty as a rite of passage. In Judaism, it fulfills the covenant between God and Abraham.
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How is the circumcision procedure usually performed?
Circumcision involves cutting away some or all of the foreskin of the penis. The foreskin consists of a double layer of skin that covers the glans penis. Under the inner layer are glands that secrete smegma, a substance that, if hygiene is not observed, may result in discomfort and odor.
Medically, the procedure consists of cutting the foreskin to allow its free retraction behind the glans penis.
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Which religions or cultures commonly practice circumcision?
Circumcision is a widespread practice with varied meanings across cultures. It is commonly practiced in Judaism to represent the covenant with God, and in Islam, where it is considered a major rite. Some Arab groups traditionally perform it before marriage, while others do it at puberty as a passage rite. Although the legal schools of Islam do not agree on the importance of circumcision, it is still a major rite. In ancient Egypt, boys were generally circumcised between the ages of 6 and 12. It is also common among Ethiopians.
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What are some reasons people give for or against circumcision?
Circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis. Reasons for circumcision vary across cultures.
Some arguments in favor of circumcision:
* It is a religious requirement in Judaism, as a sign of the covenant with God.
* It was once considered a hygienic measure in Western countries.
* Studies suggest potential health benefits, such as a reduced risk of urinary tract infections and some sexually transmitted infections, including HIV in heterosexual men, as well as a lower risk of cervical cancer in their female partners.Some arguments against circumcision:
* A U.S. counter-circumcision movement gained traction when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found that there was no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision.
* The AAP has also stated that the benefits only marginally outweigh the risks.
* Some believe it is an unnecessary surgery, and the decision should be left to parents.1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some possible health effects or risks related to circumcision?
Circumcision is a ritual surgical procedure that involves cutting away all or part of the foreskin of the penis. While some view it as a hygienic practice with potential health benefits such as reducing the risk of urinary tract infection and certain sexually transmitted infections, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that the benefits only marginally outweigh the risks. The decision to circumcise is left to parents.
Researchers caution that the reduced risk of HIV transmission applies specifically to heterosexual activity. Female circumcision, or female genital cutting (FGC), is more likely to increase the rate of HIV transmission than to reduce it.
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Circumcision, the operation of cutting away all or part of the foreskin (prepuce) of the penis. The origin of the practice is unknown, although the widespread distribution of circumcision as a ritual suggests great antiquity. Circumcision is generally viewed by anthropologists as a practice through which various aspects of social identity are inscribed upon the human body, such as gender, purity, or social or sexual maturity.
While most scholars agree on these generalities, the specific timing, meanings, and rites associated with circumcision have varied greatly over time and space. In ancient Egypt, boys were generally circumcised between ages 6 and 12. Among Ethiopians, Jews, some Muslims, and some other groups, the operation is performed shortly after birth or perhaps a few years after birth. Some Arab groups traditionally perform the operation immediately before marriage. Among most other peoples who practice it ritually, circumcision is performed at puberty as a passage rite.
In many cultures, circumcision is also regarded as being of profound religious significance. In Judaism, for instance, it represents the fulfillment of the covenant between God and Abraham (Genesis 17:10–27), the first divine command of the Pentateuch—that every male child shall be circumcised. That Christians were not obliged to be circumcised was first recorded biblically in Acts 15.
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Medically, the operation consists of the cutting of the foreskin to allow its free retraction behind the glans penis (the conical head). The foreskin consists of a double layer of skin that, without circumcision, more or less completely covers the glans penis. Under the inner layer of foreskin there are situated a number of glands that secrete a cheeselike substance called smegma. Accumulation of smegma beneath the foreskin may result in great discomfort and may serve as the source of a rather penetrating odour if cleanliness and hygiene are not observed.
In Western countries, circumcision became increasingly common during the 19th century because the medical establishment defined it as a hygienic procedure. By the closing decades of the 20th century, it had generally fallen out of favour except in cases of medical or religious necessity. The United States proved to be the exception to this trend; in the early 21st century most boys there continued to be circumcised shortly after birth, at least in cases where there were no compelling reasons for delay. A U.S. countercircumcision movement gained credence in 1971 when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found that there was “no absolute medical indication for routine circumcision.” In 2012, following an extensive review of scientific research, the AAP issued an updated policy statement, in which it concluded that circumcision does in fact offer certain health advantages (e.g., reduction in risk of urinary tract infection). The benefits, however, only marginally outweigh the risks, and the AAP was unable to recommend routine circumcision; the decision of whether to have the procedure performed was left to parents.
Advocates of circumcision cite studies indicating that circumcised men have a lower incidence of AIDS, syphilis, and other sexually transmitted diseases than uncircumcised men. In addition, their female partners have a lower risk of cervical cancer. In 2007 the World Health Organization (WHO) reviewed several studies of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in men living in Africa and found that male circumcision reduced their risk of heterosexually acquired infection by significant amounts (ranging from 48 to more than 60 percent). The resulting WHO report recommended that circumcision become a standard tool within comprehensive programs for the prevention of HIV, but also cautioned that:
Men and women who consider male circumcision as an HIV preventive method must continue to use other forms of protection such as male and female condoms, delaying sexual debut and reducing the number of sexual partners.
Researchers have issued two important cautionary statements about these findings. First, their results are specific to heterosexual activity, and circumcision may not be protective for those engaging in homosexual intimacy. Second, the opposite findings apply to the practice sometimes known as female circumcision, also called female genital cutting (FGC), which is more likely to increase the rate of HIV transmission than to reduce it.
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