The reasons for which people get their newborn male children circumcised can be divided into two categories. One of them consists of purely religious reasons revealed in the Old Testament and the Koran. But besides that there are a great number of other reasons why a man or an infant should be circumcised, and those reasons have nothing to do with religion.
Are these reasons based on real-life experience, or are they just a work of fiction, a creation of imagination? Spare some time on reading this compact article to the end and you will discover some really useful facts concerning circumcision.
The Earliest Historical Explanations of the Necessity of Circumcision
Historically the most common and most ancient explanation of the necessity of circumcision is a belief that circumcision prevents masturbation. We regret to say, but this idea has nothing to do with reality.
As was discovered by reputable medical studies, the fact of being circumcised does not stop a person from practicing masturbation, not in the least. The polling conducted among both Jewish and Moslem groups demonstrated that circumcised males are likely to masturbate not less if not more than uncircumcised males.
The surgical removal of the foreskin of newborn infants became widely spread in the post-war USA. The supporters of the procedure offered lots of extensive “logical” justification to its necessity and beneficial effects.
Circumcision was believed to be an efficient remedy from lots of irregularities and ailments, which included, for instance, masturbation, headache, insanity, epilepsy, paralysis, strabismus, rectal prolapse, hydrocephalus, and clubfoot. The list can go on much longer.
As a result, almost all infants that were born during the famous period of so called "baby boomer" generation underwent the procedure of circumcision surgery. That is, almost 90% of newborn male babies in America of the 1970s were circumcised.
What is the Reality behind the Popular Beliefs in Practicality of Circumcision?
At it turned out, in reality the circumcision proved to be something very far from the expectations and claims of its supporters. More than that, quite the opposite thing happened: as was discovered by careful and extensive scientific research, the foreskin (scientifically called the prepuce) performs an important role in masculine hygiene. Besides, it also performs several useful functions from the immunological point of view.
Another well-known claim of modern supporters of circumcision is lesser chances of circumcised males to catch so called STD (sexually transmitted diseases) in comparison with their uncircumcised countrymen. But repeated studies still have not proved it on a medical and statistical level. On the contrary, the opposite seems to be closer to truth.
Why is a Prepuce so important? What Functions is it Responsible for?
The prepuce or the foreskin is that part of the penis anatomy that functions as a cover for the glands of the penis, including the head and upper 1/3 part of the penis itself.
Firstly, the prepuce functions as a protective sphincter element or a one-way valve. It prevents the penetration of various contaminants during urination.
Secondly, this part of penis anatomy houses ectopic sebaceous glands, they are producers of smegma. A mucus-like smegma is a natural emollient; it consists of several kinds of secretions and epithelial cells that have peeled off.
In its turn, this is important for protection and lubrication of the penis head, it also plays useful part if facilitating erections and makes vagina penetration much smoother and pleasurable during sexual intercourse.
Thirdly, such useful substances as cathepsin B, lysozyme, chymotrypsin, neutrophil elastase, and cytokine are produced by apocrine glands which are contained in the prepuce.
For instance, cytokine enzyme is responsible for immune response on contact with specific antigens. Besides, such pheromone like androsterone is also secreted by the prepuce.
At last, the prepuce is important because of its ability to produce lysozyme. This enzyme can be found in tears and human milk. It facilitates quick destruction of cell walls of bacteria.
Can the Prepuce be Considered an Erogenous Zone Too?
It can surprise you, but the answer is definitely positive.
The prepuce is very sensitive for such factors as motion, touch, temperature, and erogenous stimulation. In many ways is can be considered similar to the female clitoris. The reason for this is the fact that prepuce is rich in complex networks of nerves and contains an abundance of mucocutaneous end organs.
It will suffice to say that the total number of nerve endings in the entire skin of a penis is less than in just the prepuce alone. That leads us to the inevitable conclusion that the uncircumcised men are entitled to much more pleasurable sexual life than their circumcised countrymen.
It should be also pointed out that thanks to the prepuce the movements between the mucosal surfaces of the man and woman during copulation become smoother and more sensual.
Actually, by providing its own cover of self-lubricating, flexible skin the prepuce facilitates the penis movements in and out of the vagina to a substantial degree. The sexual stimulation of a female is increased by adding slippery non-abrasively moving pressure to the friction only, which leads to better sex.
Is there Still Any Real Sense in Circumcision?
According to multiple studies and modern medical research, the best choice would be to leave the penis intact, the way it was intended by Mother Nature. This conclusion can be considered as firmly established nowadays.
Speaking about the propagated ability of circumcision to prevent STD, it should be said that so far there have been no firm scientific evidence to that effect. STD can be stopped by educational efforts and propagation of safe protected sex, but never by removal of the penis foreskin.
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