Why is infant circumcision practiced?

Answer 1

Some boys are circumcised for religious reasons, for example if you are Jewish or Muslim. Most other religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism do not practice circumcision. While circumcision has no known medical benefits and no major medical association recommends routine infant circumcision, some parents, particularly in the United States, still decide to have their infants circumcised. The vast majority of men in the world are not circumcised, but in a few countries, inluding the United States, circumcision became popular in the late 19th century as a method to keep young boys from masturbating. Gradually, the practice of routine infant circumcision became widespread in the United States. However, circumcision rates have been declining in the United States for a number of reasons. Among them are that circumcision has no known medical benefit and that circumcision can decrease the sensitivity of the penis during sexual activity. Since doctors no longer recommend routine infant circumcision the rate of circumcision in the United States is falling. In the 1980s up to 80% of newborn males were circumcised. By 2007, less than 40% of newborn males were circumcised.

Answer 2

In the case of Jews it is a religious instruction and nothing more. it is done on the 8th day of their lives.

Other religions and cultures do it at older ages depending on the traditions involved. These cultures require the removal of the foreskin for religious or right of passage into manhood reasons.

English speaking Europeans took up the practice in the mid 1800's at the advice of the British medical fraternity. They stated that circumcision would reduce the incidence of boys masturbating and that masturbation was responsible for a huge number of diseases ranging from syphilis to insanity. It was done to baby's because a baby tels no tales This horrible and painful operation was easier to inflict on a defenceless child them on an adult or older child. In the USA there is a big market in discarded baby foreskin which is used for the production of new skin and in the production of hormones for the cosmetics industry. each baby's foreskin can bring in more then $100.000 making it an important money spinner for what can only be described as a shifty medical fraternity as the baby's mutilated by it never see any royalty as a result of their loss.