Penis removal explained

Penis removal is the act of removing the human penis. It is not to be confused with the related practice of castration, in which the testicles are removed or deactivated, or emasculation, which removes both. Penis removal and castration have been used to create a class of servants or slaves called eunuchs in many different places and eras, having a notable presence in various societies such as Imperial China.

In Russia, men of a devout group of Spiritual Christians known as the Skoptsy were castrated, either undergoing "greater castration", which entailed removal of the penis, or "lesser castration", in which the penis remained in place, while Skoptsy women underwent mastectomy. These procedures were performed in an effort to eliminate lust and to restore the Christian to a pristine state that existed prior to original sin.

In the modern era, removing the human penis for any such activity 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.[1] [2] [3]

Penis removal in medicine and psychology

See main article: article and Penectomy. 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.[4]

Genital surgical procedures for transgender 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.

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.

History of involuntary penis removal

China

In ancient China, for crimes including adultery, "licentious" and "promiscuous" activity, males had their penises removed in addition to being castrated. This was one of the Five Punishments that could be legally inflicted on criminals in China.[5] The exact crime was called gong, and referred to "immoral" sex between males and females. The punishment stated, "If a male and female engage in intercourse without morality, their punishments shall be castration and sequestration [respectively]."[6] They were designed to permanently disfigure for life.[7] "Castration", in China, meant the severing of the penis in addition to the testicles, after which male offenders were sentenced to work in the palace as eunuchs. The punishment was called gōngxíng (宫刑), which meant "palace punishment", since castrated men would be enslaved to work in the harem of the palace. It was also called "fǔxíng"(腐刑).[8] Husbands who committed adultery were punished with castration as required under this law.[9]

Japan

The removal of the penis was used as a punishment for men in the Heian period in Japan, where it replaced execution. It was called rasetsu 羅切 (らせつ), and was separate from castration which was called kyūkei 宮刑 (きゅうけい).[10] [11] Rasetsu was done voluntarily by some Japanese Buddhist priests to ensure celibacy.[12] [13] Rasetsu was also known in Edo period Japan.[14]

The word rasetsu was made out of the components "ra" from "mara" which meant penis, and "setsu", which meant cutting.[15] [16]

The word rasetsu was used in Japanese literature.[17]

Kyūkei in Japanese law referred to the punishment of castration, which was used for male offenders, and confinement for females.[18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

Arab slave trade

The Arab slave trade provided many eunuchs who were more highly prized, and priced. African boys were generally subject to penis removal, as well as castration.[24]

Treatment and effects of penis removal

A study of penis reattachment in China found that in a group of 50 men, all but one reacquired functionality, even though some involved full reconstructive surgery using tissue and bone. Reportedly, some of these men later fathered children.[25]

Phalloplasty

If reattachment is not an option (such as the penis not being reattached long after 24 hours),[26] doctors can reconstruct a penis from muscle and skin grafted from another part of the body like the forearm. However, a penile implant is needed for an erection to be possible, as the reconstructed penis would look strange and would either not be able to ejaculate,[27] [28] or ejaculate with less force.[29] Patients are often dissatisfied with the reconstructed penis.[30] Since 2015, Zephyr Surgical Implants produces malleable and inflatable penile implants particularly designed for phalloplasty surgeries.[31] Standing during urination is an advantage offered by a reconstructed penis.[32] If penis reconstruction is not done, the patient will have to squat in order to urinate since doctors reroute the entrance of the urethra to below the scrotum.

Penis transplantation

See main article: Penis transplantation.

In the 21st-century, successful allographic penis transplantation surgery began.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Loblaw . DA . American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendations for the initial hormonal management of androgen-sensitive metastatic, recurrent, or progressive prostate cancer . Journal of Clinical Oncology . July 15, 2004 . 10.1200/JCO.2004.04.579. 15184404 . 22 . 14 . 2927–41 . Mendelson DS . Talcott JA . Virgo KS . 3 . Somerfield . MR . Ben-Josef . E . Middleton . R . Porterfield . H . Sharp . SA. 20462746 .
  2. Web site: Terris . Martha K . Audrey Rhee . Prostate Cancer: Metastatic and Advanced Disease . eMedicine . August 1, 2006 . January 11, 2007. etal.
  3. Web site: Myers . Charles E . Androgen Resistance, Part 1 . Prostate Cancer Research Institute . August 24, 2006 . January 11, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928024603/http://www.prostate-cancer.org/education/andeprv/Myers_AndrogenResistance1.html . September 28, 2011 . dead .
  4. The True Story of John/Joan . Colapinto . John . John Colapinto . Rolling Stone . December 11, 1997 . 54–97 . February 22, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090120202925/http://infocirc.org/rollston.htm . January 20, 2009 . dead . mdy-all .
  5. Book: Cyclopaedia of political science, political economy, and of the political history of the United States, Volume 1. Lalor, John Joseph . 1882. Rand, McNally. 406. 9780598866110.
  6. Book: A Sex, Law, and Society in Late Imperial China. Sommer, Matthew Harvey . 2002. Stanford University Press. 0804745595. 33.
  7. Book: The conscience of humankind: literature and traumatic experiences. Ibsch, Elrud . Fokkema, Douwe Wessel . amp . 2000. Rodopi. 9042004207. 176.
  8. Book: Gendered modernities: ethnographic perspectives. Hodgson, Dorothy Louise . 2001. Palgrave Macmillan. 0312240139. 250.
  9. Book: Journal of the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society for the year ..., Volumes 27–28. Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. China Branch. 1895. The Branch. 160.
  10. Book: Gill, Robin D. . The Woman Without a Hole – & Other Risky Themes from Old Japanese Poems. 2007. illustrated. Paraverse Press. 978-0974261881. 202.
  11. Book: Gill, Robin D. . Octopussy, Dry Kidney & Blue Spots – Dirty Themes from 18-19c Japanese Poems. 2007. illustrated. Paraverse Press. 978-0974261850. 202.
  12. Book: Japanese Slang Uncensored. Constantine, P. . 1994. Tuttle Publishing. 4900737038. 83, 164.
  13. Book: Wood, Michael S.. University of Oregon. Literary Subjects Adrift: A Cultural History of Early Modern Japanese Castaway Narratives, Ca. 1780—1880. 2009. 978-1109119787. 330.
  14. Demonology and Eroticism Islands of Women in the Japanese Buddhist Imagination. Moerman, D. Max. 2009. Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture. Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 36. 2. 351–380 (375). 40660972. November 11, 2012. August 11, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110811163019/http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/publications/jjrs/pdf/824.pdf. dead.
  15. Book: Faure, Bernard. The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality. 1998. reprint. Princeton University Press. 0691059977. 35.
  16. Book: Faure, Bernard. The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality. 1998. reprint. Princeton University Press. 0691059977. 35.
  17. Book: Gill, Robin D. . A Dolphin in the Woods: Composite Translation, Paraversing and Distilling Prose. 2009. illustrated. Paraverse Press. 978-0984092314. 181.
  18. http://www.romajidesu.com/dictionary/meaning-of-宮刑.html Meaning of 宮刑 in Japanese
  19. http://en.bab.la/dictionary/japanese-english/宮刑 宮刑 – English translation
  20. http://vocing.com/japanese-english/宮刑 宮刑 in English translated from Japanese
  21. Web site: Japanese Vocabulary » 宮刑 on January 1, 2010 . Japanese Vocabulary: 宮刑 » SayJack . Ja-jp.sayjack.com . January 1, 2010 . March 17, 2014.
  22. http://2000kanji.com/japanese-to-english/definition/宮刑 Definition for: 宮刑
  23. http://tangorin.com/kanji/宮刑 宮刑
  24. Book: Slavery in the Arab World. Companions to Asian Studies. Murray Gordon. Rowman & Littlefield. 1989. 9780941533300. 96. registration.
  25. https://web.archive.org/web/20101215093323/http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=334&catid=13&subcatid=83 HEALTH CARE IN CHINA-TRANSPLANTS AND DRUGS – China | Facts and Details
  26. Web site: 6 Things I Learned Having My Penis Surgically Removed . May 31, 2015 . cracked.com.
  27. News: Man's Penis Cut Off By Wife: How Could Doctors Make a New One?. April 5, 2013. MyHealthNewsDaily. July 13, 2011. Rettner, Rachael. January 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130104085834/http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/1477-mans-penis-cut-off-how-doctors-reconstruct.html. dead.
  28. News: Man's Penis Cut Off By Wife: How Could Doctors Make a New One?. April 5, 2013. Live Science. July 13, 2011 . Rettner, Rachael.
  29. News: Wife Chops Off Husband's Penis, Throws in Garbage Disposal. April 5, 2013. ABC news. July 12, 2011. Conley, Mikaela.
  30. News: There are options for penis repair after mutilation. April 5, 2013. Los Angeles Times. July 15, 2011. Maugh, Thomas H. II.
  31. Pigot . Garry L.S. . Sigurjónsson . Hannes . Ronkes . Brechje . Al-Tamimi . Muhammed . van der Sluis . Wouter B. . Surgical Experience and Outcomes of Implantation of the ZSI 100 FtM Malleable Penile Implant in Transgender Men After Phalloplasty . The Journal of Sexual Medicine . January 2020 . 17 . 1 . 152–158 . 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.09.019. 31680006 . 207890601 .
  32. News: SCIENCE WATCH; Sexual Organ Surgery. April 5, 2013. The New York Times. March 14, 1989.

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