Definition
Removing all or part of the foreskin of the penis
Introduction
The term “circumcision” refers to removing all or part of the foreskin of the penis (prepuce). The word “circumcision” comes from Latin, circum (meaning “around”) and caedere (meaning “to cut”). Child circumcision was first used in medicine in the nineteenth century (Militello & Pais, 2023). Over the past few decades, cultural changes and new research have led to a closer look at the practice of circumcision.
The Evolutionary Saga
Based on engraved evidence found on walls and evidence from mummies, circumcision has been dated to at least as early as 6000 BCE in ancient Egypt. Australian aborigines, Incas, Aztecs, Mayans, and ancient Egyptians practiced it (Aydogmus et al., 2016). The procedure has been performed for religious, cultural, and medical reasons (Dunsmuir & Gordon, 1999). Egyptian wall sculptures and papyri from 4000 BC have descriptions of circumcision that date back to when (circumcised) ancient...
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References
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Arora, M., Singh, L.K., Somani, A. (2023). Penis: Circumcision. In: Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08956-5_35-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08956-5_35-1
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