Introduction

Circumcision is one of the oldest and most common surgical practices, being practised, for a range of medical, social and religious reasons, on up to 30% of males worldwide. In examining a case in which a botched circumcision performed for religious reasons, the Regional Court in Cologne decided that the practice contravened the bodily autonomy of minors and was subject to the same legislation used to classify female genital cutting as assault. This, understandably, aroused serious concerns among various religious communities who either practise circumcision or regard the decision as an infringement on liberty of faith. Interestingly, while the core concerns of genital autonomy appear to be of persisting relevance to the efforts of international health bodies to tackle human immunodeficiency virus transmission through circumcision, there is also scope for concern regarding potential implications of imposing a practice on non-circumcising peoples. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.