Introduction

Introduction

Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin. The foreskin, also known as prepuce, is a fold of skin that covers the end of the penis.

Circumcision is usually performed on babies and young boys, but it can also be undertaken by adult men.

It is primarily carried out due to religious or cultural factors. However there may also be medical reasons for the procedure.

Circumcision happens across Africa and Asia but it is also practised in North America, Australia and the Balkans.

Worldwide figures in 2006 suggested that 30% of males - approximately 665 million men - have been circumcised.

Circumcision is one of the oldest surgical operations known. There are even ancient Egyptian carvings and illustrations that show how the procedure was performed.

It was a routine procedure in England during the late 19th century but the practice has declined in the UK with about 10,000 circumcisions carried out, around 2005, on boys under 16.

Find out more

• Female circumcision