Circumcision in History and Today

A circumcision will most likely be performed on newborns but in certain cases, adults also need to have them performed. Unlike newborns, adults tend to have medical or religious reasons for undergoing a circumcision. Patients that suffer from conditions such as phimosis, paraphimosis, preputial neoplasm’s and excessive prepuce redundancy might have to have a circumcision done in order to rid them of these problems. Depending on the condition, the physician will administer anesthesia, local or general. Dr. Jack Bruder, a Urologist New YorkCity recommends a 6 to 8 week recovery and it is also recommended that sexual activities be put on hold. The reason for which circumcisions are performed vary and the history of the procedure is about as old as the cultures and religions which are said to have started it. In those days the procedure was performed by priests and not by a Urologist New York like many of us do today.

Ancient Egypt

Hieroglyphics found in ancient pyramids and scriptures tell the story of circumcision which is said to begin here. A drawing in one of the pyramids depicts a man being held down and a scalpel being applied to his genital region. Herodotus the ancient greek historian wrote that Egyptians practice circumcision for the sake of hygiene and consider a penis looks cleaner this way. One thing that should be noted is circumcision was not always done on infants and considered to be a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. Ancient teachings also dictated that there were mysteries that were reserved solely for the initiated ones. Said mysteries were never revealed but they likely have been prayers, myths and incarnations central to the Egyptian religion. But one of the most important myths revolves around the Egyptian Book of the Dead which states the sun God Ra circumcising himself and thus creating two minor deities.

Judaism

Circumcision is known as the practice of removing a simple fold of skin that covers the head of the un-erect penis. This procedure has been around for thousands of years, and according to the book of Genesis in the Torah it began as a covenant between God and Abraham. It is said that God promised Abraham and his descendants, riches, great lands and success with the catch that any descendants purchased or born in that household had to be circumcised by their eight day of life. Breaking that covenant would mean that the non-circumcised male would be not blessed with the favor of God. And Jews have kept their end of the bargain for thousands of years. In fact, the Jewish people are known to be the group that popularized circumcision and brought the practice to the Western world (mainly US and Canada). It is said that 98% of American Jews are circumcised.

Circumcision Today

Circumcision rites and procedures vary across the globe but Jews and Muslims are still amongst the highest percentage of people who practice it. Circumcision is less popular in Latin American countries and it is still very popular in the United States. Jews traditionally circumcise on the eighth day of a boy’s life where in Egypt it can be done anywhere between birth and their eighth birthday. Malaysians prefer circumcision to be done between the ages of 10 and 12 and in Muslim communities they prefer to wait until a child can recite the Quaran once. The United States has a very high population of Jewish descendants and performs circumcision as soon as the child is born because it is argued that it is not as painful and faster if done this way. The practice is done more so in Asia and the Middle East where the largest populations of Muslim and Jewish people live.

A stated earlier, Circumcision also has health reasons associated to it and the reasons for which the practice is done to adults, varies from many diseases. One of the most important topics is HIV and how circumcision is said to reduce the risk of contracting the infection that eventually leads to AIDS. The ability to retract the foreskin is known as phimosis and it is the main condition for which adults have circumcisions performed. Phimosis is the inability to retract the foreskin glands thus making it impossible to “pull the skin back”. In such cases the intervention of a Urology Doctor New York is necessary. For information on a Urology Doctor NYC contact Luzato Medical Group. A team of board certified Urologists NYC working together for over 25 years to help you resolve any urological issue you may have.