A long line of generations of men have undergone male circumcision for a host of reasons, including religious, ceremonial, aesthetic and hygienic reasons. It is as natural a practice in some families as it is a source of puzzlement and confusion in others. What cannot be denied is that male circumcision is an important consideration in a man's reproductive and sexual history.

To get a clearer idea of male circumcision, take note of the following illustrations. In male circumcision, part or the entire prepuce or foreskin is cut from the penis. In frenectomy, part of the frenulum is cut as well during circumcision.

Did you know that the practice of circumcision is older than recorded human history? Drawings indicating male circumcision have been found in caves dating back to the prehistoric ages and to stone-age man as well as in ancient Egyptian tombs.

The origins of male circumcision are not clear but some of the age-old drawings depict male circumcision as a form of ritual offering or sacrifice in honor of a deity. It has also been depicted as a ceremony that marks the passage from boyhood to manhood and practiced as a branding instrument to mark a slave or a defeated man. Certainly, it has been a highly encouraged if not required practice in a number of different religions.

Male circumcision has historically been popular in the United States, South Korea and the Philippines, although the number of Americans who are circumcised gets lower every year, due mainly to aesthetic considerations.

Circumcision is usually undertaken when the male is still an infant and anaesthesia is not always used. A 1998 medical study reveals that anaesthesia was used on infants during circumcision by only 45% of doctors, including 25% of obstetricians, 56% of family doctors and 71% of pediatricians.

The logic and need for male circumcision has been a topic of debate in the medical profession for decades. Many doctors feel that the only valid reasons for male circumcision are religious and medical. In fact, the medical association of the USA, Canada and Australia have all ruled against non-therapeutic circumcision or circumcision that is non-religious, non-ritualistic and not medically necessary.

In spite of that, an American Medical Association review in 1999 said that American parents chose elective circumcision for their child, it is largely because of social or cultural expectations, rather than medical concerns. In a separate study in 2001, 23.5% of American parents said they opted for circumcision because of health reasons.

On the other hand, some doctors believe that male circumcision does have its share of health benefits, including lowering the chances of penile cancer and sexually transmitted diseases as well as less urinary tract infections in babies. In some cases, male circumcision is a necessary procedure such as in the treatment of phimosis and chronic inflammation.

On one extreme, there is also the so-called genital integrity movement that condemns any kind of infant circumcision and regards it as male genital mutilation. However, their numbers are few and their beliefs largely unpopular.

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