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===Islam===
In Islam, circumcision is also religiously founded, even though there is no mention of it in the Koran itself. According to tradition, the Prophet Mohammed was born without a [[foreskin]]. It is seen as a sign of prophets that they are born without a [[foreskin]] already. It is considered an honour to "resemble the example of the Prophet", meaning to be circumcised. In Islam, unlike Judaism, there is no specific age at which the circumcision should be performed. Most circumcisions take place at ages between 6 and 10 years, but the range goes from birth to adulthood.
Combine citation
According to the anthropologist and sociologist Nissan Rubin, the Jewish form of circumcision, called ''brit mila'', during the first two millennia did not include the later customary ''periah'', namely the complete scraping of the inner [[foreskin]] from the [[Glans penis|glans]]. This was only added around 135 AD, to make it impossible to restore the [[foreskin]] by stretching, which became popular in the wake of Hellenic influence. While originally only the tip of the [[foreskin]] was cut off, periah removes the entire [[foreskin]]. In the Greek society of the day, a denuded [[Glans penis|glans]] was considered obscene and risible. In ultra-orthodox communities, circumcision is followed by the [[mohel]], the ritual circumciser, sucking blood from the wound with his mouth. This practice is highly controversial, as it can result in an infection with herpes simplex type 1. In New York City, between 2000 and 2011 eleven children were infected with herpes, 10 of whom had to be treated in hospital. Two of them suffered permanent brain damage, two others died. In the 12th century, the Jewish philosopher and doctor Maimonides pointed out that circumcision was necessary, as it diminished sexual desires and reduced the pleasure to a degree just sufficient for mere reproduction.
===Christianity===
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Nevertheless, Christian moral notions had decisive influence on the spread of this practice. In the puritan influenced USA, circumcision of children was popular in the 19th century as a means to prevent [[masturbation]]. In those days, this so-called ‘self-abuse‘ was not only considered immoral, but was supposedly responsible for a variety of diseases. Masturbation, however, is not mentioned anywhere in the Holy Bible, so there is no support for the belief that it is somehow immoral or sinful. Even the mere existence of a [[foreskin]] was linked to many illnesses. Among them one could find syphilis, epilepsy, paralysis of the spine, bed wetting, scoliosis (spinal deformity), paralysis of the bladder, club foot, nerve pain in the lower abdomen, tuberculosis and lazy eye. One of the best known advocates of child circumcision was [[John Harvey Kellogg]], co-inventor of the corn flakes bearing his name. In 1888, he wrote:
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===Islam===In Islam, circumcision is also religiously founded, even though there is no mention of it in the Koran itself. According to tradition, the Prophet Mohammed was born without a [[foreskin]]. It is seen as a sign of prophets that they are born without a [[foreskin]] already. It is considered an honour to "resemble the example of the Prophet", meaning to be circumcised. In Islam, unlike Judaism, there is no specific age at which the circumcision should be performed. Most circumcisions take place at ages between 6 and 10 years, but the range goes from birth to adulthood.
== Rationale ==
====Arguments of prophylaxia====
Though the practice of ritual circumcision of males, both consenting and non-consenting, has existed for millenia, the search for "potential medical benefits" began relatively recently. Initially, circumcision was adopted as a way to stop boys and men from masturbating, where mastubration masturbation was seen as the cause for many diseases. As the myth that circumcision prevented [[masturbation]] became debunked, advocates of circumcision began the great search to find the "medical benefits" of circumcision.
Male and female circumcision involves the removal and disruption of normal anatomical structures that are primary areas of sexual sensation.<ref>{{REFjournal |lastname=Taylor |first=J.R. |last2=Lockwood |first2=A.P. |last3=Taylor |first3=A.J. |title=The prepuce: Specialized mucosa of the penis and its loss to circumcision |journal=British Journal of Urology International |volume=77 |issue= |pages=291-95 |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/anatomy/taylor/ |quote= |pubmedID=8800902 |pubmedCID= |DOI= |date=1996-2 |accessdate=2019-10-12}}<"taylor1996" /ref> In the past, some advocates of mass circumcision have considered the prepuce to be a "mistake of nature,"<ref>
<nowiki>{{Cold and Wiswell (1995)}} | [[Template:Cold and Wiswell (1995)|see more]]</nowiki></p>
</ref> but this notion has no validity because the prepuce is ubiquitous in primates and because it provides functional advantages.<ref>{{REFbook