This article is about Male circumcision. For female circumcision, see Female genital mutilation.
For the paintings, see The Circumcision.
Circumcision
Circumcision surgery with hemostats and scissors
ICD-10-PCS
Z41.2
ICD-9-CM
V50.2
MeSH
D002944
OPS-301 code
5–640.2
MedlinePlus
002998
eMedicine
1015820
[edit on Wikidata]
Circumcision is a medical procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Topical or locally injected anesthesia is generally used to reduce pain and physiologic stress.[1] The operation is commonly performed on infants. Circumcision is generally electively performed, most commonly as a form of preventive healthcare, as a religious obligation, or as a cultural practice.[2] It is also an option for cases of phimosis, other pathologies that do not resolve with other treatments, and chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs).[3][4] The procedure is contraindicated in cases of certain genital structure abnormalities or poor general health.[4][5]
Circumcision is one of the world's most common and oldest medical procedures.[2] It plays a major role in many of the world's cultures and religions, most prominently Judaism and Islam. Circumcision is among the most important commandments in Judaism.[6][7] The ceremony is known as a bris. Prophylactic usage originated in England during the 1850s and subsequently widely spread, becoming predominately established as a way to prevent sexually transmitted infections.[8][9] It is widespread in Australia, Canada, the United States, South Korea, most of Africa, and parts of Asia.[2] It is relatively rare for non-religious reasons in parts of Southern Africa, Latin America, Europe, and parts of Asia.[2] The origin of circumcision is not known with certainty; the oldest documentation comes from ancient Egypt.[2][10][11]
The procedure is associated with reduced rates of sexually transmitted infections[12] and urinary tract infections.[1][13][14] This includes reducing the incidence of cancer-causing forms of human papillomavirus (HPV) and significantly reducing HIV transmission among heterosexual men in high-risk populations;[15] its prophylactic efficacy against HIV transmission in the developed world or among men who have sex with men is debated.[16][17][18] Neonatal circumcision decreases the risk of penile cancer.[19] There is some debate in the medical community over whether the foreskin is vestigial or performs a function in sexual activity and in infancy. Complication rates increase significantly with age.[20] Bleeding, infection, and the removal of either too much or too little foreskin are the most common acute complications, while meatal stenosis is the most common long-term.[21] Major medical organizations hold variant views on the strength of circumcision's prophylactic efficacy in developed countries. Some medical organizations take the position that it carries prophylactic health benefits which outweigh the risks, while other medical organizations generally hold the belief that in these situations its medical benefits are not counterbalanced by risk.[22][23][24][25]
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Circumcision is a medical procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended...
Ashkenazi: [bʁis ˈmilə]; "covenant of circumcision") or bris (Yiddish: ברית, pronounced [bʁɪs]) is the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism and Samaritanism. According...
Religious circumcision is generally performed shortly after birth, during childhood, or around puberty as part of a rite of passage. Circumcision for religious...
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The Circumcision is a title for some of the many paintings of the Circumcision of Jesus. Examples with articles include: The Circumcision (Parmigianino)...
banning circumcision, some dating back to ancient times, have been enacted in many countries and communities. In modern states, circumcision is generally...
Male circumcision has been a subject of controversy for a number of reasons including religious, ethical, sexual, and medical. During the late 19th and...
Forced circumcision is the circumcision of men and boys against their will. In a biblical context, the term is used especially in relation to Paul the...
Circumcision likely has ancient roots among several ethnic groups in sub-equatorial Africa, Egypt, and Arabia, though the specific form and extent of circumcision...
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Male circumcision reduces the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission from HIV positive women to men in high risk populations. In 2020...
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Eritrean Orthodoxy still observe male circumcision and practice circumcision as a rite of passage. Male circumcision is also widely practiced among Christians...
surgery than circumcision, it is more invasive than preputioplasty since it leaves the incision open. It is still used when circumcision or other measures...
Circumcision surgical procedure in males involves either a conventional "cut and stitch" surgical procedure or use of a circumcision instrument or device...
Circumcision in Africa, and the rites of initiation in Africa, as well as "the frequent resemblance between details of ceremonial procedure in areas thousands...
religious male circumcision in early Christianity has played an important role in the history of Christianity and Christian theology. The circumcision of Jesus...
adult circumcision and sexual function. Doyle et al. "The Impact of Male Circumcision on HIV Transmission" (2010) addresses adult circumcision and sexual...
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Circumcision has played a significant cultural, social, and religious role in various global cultures over the course of world history. This has subsequently...
Testament as still binding on all Christians. They tried to enforce Jewish circumcision upon the Gentile converts to early Christianity and were strenuously...
stretching exercises, is not effective, then other treatments such as circumcision may be recommended. A potential complication of phimosis is paraphimosis...
practices. In order to convert, the conversion candidate must have a circumcision (if male) and immerse in the mikveh before a kosher beth din, comprising...
treatment by circumcision may be elected as "a last resort, to be performed by a urologist". Other experts recommend delaying elective circumcision until after...