circumcision

Surgical removal of all or part of the foreskin (prepuce) of the penis, usually performed on the newborn; it is practised among Jews (b'rit milah) and Muslims as a sign of God's covenant with the prophet Abraham. In some societies in Africa and the Middle East, female circumcision or clitoridectomy (removal of the labia minora and/or clitoris; see female genital mutilation) is practised on adolescents as well as babies; it is illegal in the West.

Male circumcision is usually carried out for cultural reasons and not as a medical necessity, apart from cases where the opening of the prepuce is so small as to obstruct the flow of urine. Some evidence indicates that it protects against the development of cancer of the penis later in life and that women with circumcised partners are at less risk from cancer of the cervix.