Take time to explore the many interesting and educational areas of this web site. It contains a wide variety of information including personal experiences, medical facts, statistics, historical and anthropological information and recent medical news. Your needs may be immediate - considering circumcison for yourself or your son - or academic, or just general interest. As the buttons on the left show, all these aspects are covered. The site is updated frequently and we acknowledge the support from our worldwide network of correspondents in making this possible.
MISSION STATEMENT
Circlist is an information site, not an advocacy site. We totally respect that some people are opposed to circumcision. However, as an information site we will always correct false statements and alt-news which might discourage men from having a procedure which could benefit them or make circumcised men feel bad about their status.
What is male circumcision?
At birth, boys usually have a sleeve of skin that covers the end of the penis. This is called the foreskin or prepuce. During circumcision the foreskin is removed so that the knob of the penis (the glans), includinng the opening through which the boy urinates (the urethral meatus) is exposed. If circumcision is performed during infancy or childhood, it only takes a few minutes.
For Jewish families, a specially trained religious person called a Mohel does the circumcision as part of a ceremony called a Bris, held on the eighth day of life. Circumcision is also routinely performed on the sons of those of the Islamic faith, typically when a boy is between 5 and 10 years of age. In the United States non-religious circumcision is usually done by a doctor in the first few days of life; other countries also perform the procedure for non-religious reasons as a matter of social custom.
Circumcision can be performed on men and boys of all ages, using a wide variety of devices specially designed to make the task quick and accurate.
What is female circumcision?
The term female circumcision properly refers to a surgical procedure (also known as hoodectomy) in which the hood over the clitoris (the clitoral prepuce) is either removed or slit - and nothing more. It is performed in some Muslim countries by tradition. In the west it is done either for medical reasons or (often in conjunction with labioplasty - reduction of the inner lips) for cosmetic reasons and to enhance sexual pleasure.
However, the term is often incorrectly applied to drastic ritual procedures carried out in parts of North Africa which remove the entire clitoris. In parts of Somalia and Sudan this is combined with infibulation the labia to prevent intercourse. Such operations are properly termed Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
It must be clearly understood that the owner, editor, artist and volunteer helpers who administer this web site are totally opposed to all forms of Female Genital Mutilation.
What’s new ?
The most recent changes to the website, not including the news page: |
Date added |
Item (click the link to access directly) |
11th Mar 2021 |
A whole three new stories in our Preferences and Experiences page, including another one from Russia. Great that we are hearing more from that part of the world.
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22nd Jan 2021 |
Another story added to our Preferences and Experiences page. A Russian man tells of his circumcision and later revision, leading to an impressively tight result.
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15th Jan 2021 |
A further addition to our recent Thailand page. A Thai man shares his experiences with circumcision in that country, including his surprise as a boy at finding out that one of his friends was circumcised, and his own circumcision at age 20.
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8th Jan 2021 |
Belgian artist Paul Delvaux added to our Circumcision in Art page. The Spitzner Museum - a typically bizarre painting including a young teenage boy with a mature woman - one of his favourite themes.
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1st Jan 2021 |
New story in our Preferences and Experiences page. A German reader reports another attempt at self circumcision which landed him in hospital. Don't even think of trying this. He subsequently had a proper job, and as he says he could have has what he wanted years earlier if he'd just gone to the doctor. |
19th Dec 2020 |
Addition of Thailand to our Rites and Practices section. A proposal to introduce routine infant circumcision to combat AIDS caused quite a stir in this Buddhist country.
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21st Oct 2020 |
Addition of Poland to our Rites and Practices section. Poland once housed Europe's largest Jewish population and the Nazis killed more than 3 million of them. Page contributed by Polish correspondent Greg.
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15 million circumcisions per year, each taking about 20 minutes, means that approximately 500 males are being circumcised right now.