ABSTRACT
It is estimated that there are currently in the world 650 million males who have been circumcised. Despite being one of the oldest and most common surgical procedures worldwide, circumcision is unique in that the majority of procedures are not performed for medical reasons or by qualified medical practitioners. The historical origins of circumcision are unclear, but the practice is found throughout the world – in Native Americans, Australian Aboriginals, African and Middle Eastern tribesmen, and in the earliest Egyptian mummies. Almost all of these circumcisions were carried out for cultural or religious reasons, and in much of the world this continues to the present day, with circumcision a part of defining religious or tribal identity. A wonderful example of this can be found in the autobiography of Nelson Mandela,1 in which he describes his own circumcision as part of his rite of passage to adulthood. In the USA, circumcision remains the cultural norm, and 70-90% of all male babies are circumcised.
