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==Origins==
During the late XIX century -in English speaking countries, the theory of irritation and reflex neurosis led to the development of many forms of genital mutilation.<ref>{{cite journalREFjournal | last=Gollaher | first=David L. | pubyear=1994 | title = From ritual to science: the medical transformation of circumcision in America. | journal = Journal of Social History | date = 1994 | first = David L. | last = Gollaher | coauthors = | volume = 28 | issue = 1 | pages = 5-23 | id = | format = | accessdate = | url = http://www.cirp.org/library/history/gollaher/ | accessdate=
}}</ref>
Circumcision of the male, infibulation of the male foreskin, castration, clitoridectomy, circumcision proper of the female (removal or reduction of the clitoral hood), removal of the nymphae (labia minora), application of irritants to the genitals, enemas, hysterectomies. The purpose was to reduce excessive sexual desire and its manifestations, such as masturbation, which were suspected to be the cause of many diseases.
}}</ref>. But by changing the rationale for the procedure, circumcision survived the transformation from the reflex neurosis theory to the germ theory. What started as circumcision of children, became newborn circumcision during and after the World Wars.
In the UK, an article by Douglas Gairdner led the NHS to stop coverage of circumcisions in 1949.<ref>{{cite journal REFjournal | title last= The fate of the foreskin Gairdner | journal first= Br Med J Douglas | date pubyear= 1949-12-24 | first title= ouglas The fate of the foreskin | last = Gairdner | coauthors journal= Br Med J | volume = 2 | issue = | pages = 1433-7 | id = | format = | url = http://www.cirp.org/library/general/gairdner/ | accessdate=}}</ref>. Ironically, the prevalence of circumcision in the United States kept growing, with rare opposition.
Female genital mutilation never became prevalent, although its practice remained more or less hidden in different places as a punishment for masturbation. However, since the 1950s, medicine started targeting babies born with atypical genitalia or atypical reproductive organs (intersex) for non-consensual "normalization" surgeries and treatments, some of which have been compared to female genital mutilation. In general, these procedures are now referred to as Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM) by the intersex community.