Circumcision (redirected from Circumsision)

circumcision (sûr'kəmsĭzh`ən), operation to remove the foreskin covering the glans of the penis. It dates back to prehistoric times and was widespread throughout the Middle East as a religious rite before it was introduced among the Hebrews, presumably by Abraham. It is performed by Jews on the eighth day after the birth of the male child, unless postponed for reasons of health. It is also practiced among Muslims and by other peoples in many parts of the world. Explanations of the origin of circumcision are entirely conjectural. It is related to rites of initiation. Among Jews it is considered to involve membership in the community and to be a sign of the covenant between God and humans. The decision that Christians need not practice circumcision is recorded in Acts 15; there was never, however, a prohibition of circumcision, and it is practiced by Coptic Christians. Despite some controversy, it also has been widely practiced in modern times, especially in the United States, as a sanitary measure believed to give some preventive advantage against penile cancer and sexually transmitted diseases (studies have shown it to be associated with a significant reduction in the risk of HIV transmission, particularly among heterosexuals). Since 1971, when the American Academy of Pediatrics stopped recommending routine infant circumcision, the number of circumcised infants in the United States has slowly declined, although it is still above 60%.

So-called female circumcision, in the form of excision of the labia minora and clitoris (clitoridectomy) aimed at destroying sexual sensation, is known in Islam (although it is a cultural, not a religious practice) and in certain societies of Africa, South America, and elsewhere. Also called female genital mutilation, it is a controversial practice, but deeply rooted in local custom; there are movements toward prohibition in some countries. In the United States it is illegally practiced among some immigrant populations. In some instances women have sought asylum in the United States or other Western nations to prevent forced operations on themselves or their daughters. A World Health Organization study released in 2006, which involved more than 28,000 women in six African countries, found that the practice increased the risk of complications and death during and after childbirth for mothers and their newborns.

Bibliography

See study by D. L. Gollaher (2000).

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circumcision

Cutting away of all or part of the foreskin (prepuce) of the penis. The practice is known in many cultures. It is performed either shortly after birth (e.g., among Muslims and Jews), within a few years of birth, or at puberty. For Jews it represents the fulfillment of the covenant between God and Abraham (Genesis 17:10–14). That Christians were not obliged to be circumcised was first recorded biblically in Acts 15. Evidence regarding the purported medical benefits of circumcision (e.g., reduced risk of cancer) is inconclusive, and the practice persists mainly for cultural reasons. See also clitoridectomy.

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circumcision [‚sər·kəm′sizh·ən]

(medicine)

Surgical excision of the foreskin.

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Circumcision

Abraham

initiated rite in covenant with God. [O.T.: Genesis 17:11–14]

Berith Jewish

rite of circumcising male child eight days after birth. [Judaism: Misc.]

Elijah

traditionally represented at ceremony by empty chair. [Judaism: Wigoder, 172]

Gibeath-haaraloth

Hill of Foreskins; where Joshua circumcised Israelites. [O.T.: Joshua 5:3]

Shandy, Tristram

accidentally circumcised by a loose window in a sash. [Br. Lit.: Tristram Shandy in Magill I, 1027]

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Circumcision 

the rite that consists in removal of the foreskin, or prepuce, of the penis. The custom of circumcision arose in primitive society. As youths emerged into young adulthood, they would undergo initiation rites during which they were familiarized with the traditions of the tribe. The youths would be subjected to various physical ordeals, including hunger, incisions in the skin, circumcision, and knocking out or sawing out of teeth. The rite of circumcision has been preserved among some peoples of Australia, Oceania, and Africa; it is also a part of the religious rituals of Hinduism, where it is performed on infants, and Islam, where it is performed on boys seven to ten years of age.