Penis removal
In ancient civilizations, removal of the human penis was sometimes used as a means of demonstrating superiority: armies were sometimes known to sever the penises of their enemies to count the dead, as well as for trophies, although usually only the foreskins were taken.[1] The practice of castration (removal of the testicles) sometimes also involves the removal of all or part of the penis, generally with a tube inserted to keep the urethra open for urination. Castration has been used to create a class of servants or slaves (and especially harem-keepers) called eunuchs (Greek Ευνούχοι) in many different places and eras.
In the modern era, removal of the human penis is very rare (with some exceptions listed below), and references to removal of the penis are almost always symbolic. Castration is less rare, and is performed as a last resort in the treatment of androgen-sensitive prostate cancer.[2][3][4]
In addition to the below examples, there have been instances in the 21st century in which captives in Iraq and Yemen have been castrated.[5][6]
Human penis removal in medicine and psychology
Some men have penile amputations, known as penectomies, for medical reasons. Cancer, for example, sometimes necessitates removal of all or part of the penis. In some instances, botched childhood circumcisions have also resulted in full or partial penectomies.[7]
Genital surgical procedures for transwomen (transgender or transsexual women) undergoing sex reassignment surgery, do not usually involve the complete removal of the penis; part or all of the glans is usually kept and reshaped as a clitoris, and the skin of the penile shaft may also be inverted to form the vagina. When procedures such as this are not possible, other procedures such as colovaginoplasty are used which do involve the removal of the penis.
Issues related to the removal of the penis appear in psychology, for example in the condition known as castration anxiety. Others, who associate the organ with rape and male dominance and aggression, may consciously or subconsciously see the organ (their own or those of others) as a weapon and express a hatred for it, potentially desiring to see it violently removed.
Some men have undergone penectomies as a voluntary body modification, thus including it as part of a body dysmorphic disorder. Professional opinion is divided regarding the desire for penile amputation as a pathology, much as all other forms of treatment by amputation for body dysmorphic disorder. Voluntary subincision, removal of the glans penis, and bifurcation of the penis are related topics.
Involuntary penis removal (assault)
There have been incidents in which men have been assaulted, usually by their sexual partners, by having their penises severed. Lorena Bobbitt, for example, was popularly known for cutting off the penis of her husband, John Wayne Bobbitt, out of rage after he allegedly raped her, though he claimed it was for revenge when she discovered his infidelity. Bobbitt's penis was successfully reattached, and he later had a brief career in pornographic movies.
This was not the first modern case, however. On May 18, 1936, Sada Abe (also known as Abe Sada) strangled her lover (believed to be at his request, he wanted to die while having sex) Kichizo Ishida (Ishida Kichizo) and cut off his penis, placed it in her kimono and carried it around with her for days before eventually turning it over to the police. She spent a very brief time in jail, and was granted amnesty in 1940. The penis was last seen at a department store exhibition in 1949. This episode was the basis of the film In the Realm of the Senses.
Mutilation or forcible removal of the penis has special symbolic significance. As a symbol of male sexuality, fertility, and masculinity, the removal of the penis may be inspired by a desire to emasculate, and sometimes results in the emasculation of the victim. Another motive, particularly in cases of spousal assault, is sexual.
A study of 50 men who had their penises reattached reported in the China Daily found that "98 percent of them found their penis functioned again" even though some operations were "one-stage reconstruction" in which a penis was pieced together from pieces of skin, bone and tissue. The article claimed that many of the men went on to father children. "A father who went through the one-stage reconstruction of the penis even mailed his daughter's photo to us," the article said.[8]
Documented cases
See also
- Cases of Penis removal
- Penectomy
- Genital retraction syndrome
- Penis transplantation
- Castration cult
- Apophallation
- Vagina dentata
- Rasputin's penis
- Lorena Bobbitt
- Feminization (activity)
References
- ^ See an example of this in the story of David's courtship of Saul's daughter in 1 Samuel 18:25-27; Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king's enemies.’”
- ^ Loblaw, DA (2004-07-15). "American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendations for the initial hormonal management of androgen-sensitive metastatic, recurrent, or progressive prostate cancer". Journal of Clinical Oncology. PMID 15184404. Retrieved 2007-01-11.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Terris, Martha K (2006-08-01). "Prostate Cancer: Metastatic and Advanced Disease". eMedicine. Retrieved 2007-01-11.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Myers, Charles E (2006-08-24). "Androgen Resistance, Part 1". Prostate Cancer Research Institute. Retrieved 2007-01-11.
- ^ Worth, Robert F., and Marshall, Carolyn, "G.I. Crime Photos May Be Evidence," The New York Times, August 5, 2006, accessed October 20, 2009
- ^ Judd, Alan, "Our soldiers are mortals who will suffer, not superheroes," Telegraph, October 7, 2001, accessed October 20, 2009
- ^ Colapinto, John (1997-12-11). "The True Story of John/Joan". Rolling Stone. pp. 54–97.
- ^ [1]