Why is it so popular and what caused more than a 1/3 of the men worldwide to undergo a medical procedure removing part of their genitals? I want to get an adult circumcision due to cosmetic preferences and overall hygiene reasons. Surely that can't be the reason so many men have their foreskins taken?
It isn't- the reason for it is inertia, mostly. It served as a marker of identity among the proto-Jewish (and then Jewish) tribes, since nobody else in the area would do it. The Muslims adopted it for pretty much the same reason. In the US, many centuries later, the bias against masturbation in the mid-late 19th century spurred on a huge wave of the processes that were supposed to prevent it- this included the works of doctors Kellogg and Graham, namesakes of the cornflakes and crackers you're likely familiar with- and while few of them had any real effect, cutting of the foreskin certainly did; keratinization of the glans won't affect hormones, but it sure as hell reduces sensation.
Freud and Kinsey lead the charge against the anti-masturbation nonsense, but widespread social acceptance didn't come until after their deaths. Consequently, during its heyday, it wasn't considered socially acceptable to talk about reducing masturbation as a selling point, and so the idea of using "health benefits" came up instead. Said health benefits have all the legitimacy of medicine show shill claims, but they stuck around. Adding to that was the xenophobic nationalist furor of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, because not only was this a way of separating oneself from Europeans, but from Catholics (who, then as now, abhor the practice) as well.
See, it's pretty much limited to the Islamic world, Israel, and the US- it's basically unheard of for the vast majority of planet. It may be 1/3 of the (male) population HERE, but we're not the whole Earth.
It either falls into 2 catergories
1) for religious purposes or
2) for health purposes
the religion one outweighs the second option because the skin adds pleasure but with how the world has been changed the last 2 years people are changing their hygiene habits and products which could play into it being more common now
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Mine was done for hygiene and I'm glad it was done.
i’m thankful it’s very popular in the US
Yeah seems to be in all of North America
It may have stated with religion (it’s a requirement for male Jews) but it became commonplace (over 95% of boys) in the US until the 90’s when people started saying it was cruel and tortuous. At that time the procedure became less commonplace, but it’s still well over 75% of boys. I have two boy and they were circumcised when they were about a month old. I could tell it was painful (I don’t know why they don’t use lidocaine!!!) but they’re over the pain within a few hours. They were totally healed within two weeks. I really don’t like the appearance of an uncircumcised penis. I think circumcised penises are much better looking. And there is NO loss of sensitivity as some claim. I was circumcised at birth and I’ve never had any problems.
There is a post above that states it was supposed to cut down on masturbation. That’s BS because I masturbated a hell of a lot (and I mean A LOT!) in my youth and I still do it a couple of times a week.
Dr. Kellogg and the entry of a large number of people that practice it for religious purposes into the American elite. Culture always starts with the elites.
Look up the story of someone named "W. K. Kellogg."
It's a religious practice in Abrahamic religions. The foreskin, a source of pleasure is sacrificed in covenant with God.
The goal was to increase the tribes population by making a man's only way to orgasm be penetration of a woman.
Nowadays there's a large segment of the medical and pharmaceutical industry profiting from the use of infants foreskins. It's pretty fucked up and disturbing actually.
As for esthetic reasons, I don't really see that as valid, when I'm aroused it retracts fully, as it should for any healthy man.
Religion
Your reasons are the same as mine. I also would like to get the snip done for aesthetic and hygienic reasons. I would want low and loose or nothing at all.
Well, it's common in the US and it's supposedly healthier.
I think it all started for religious reasons. Isn’t that how a lot of crap starts.
I don't know. I am just glad it is popular.
Yeah you would.
I think that's a good thing, circumcised penis looks much better.
I think for a lot of people, it’s purely cosmetic. I know I prefer a guy to be circumcised.
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