Circumcision

Circumcision, removal of the foreskin covering the glans of the penis, as a religious requirement (among Jews and Muslims) or as a surgical measure for sanitary reasons. In ancient Egypt circumcision was regarded as an initiation into puberty. For Jews it symbolizes a male's induction into the covenant between God and Abraham, usually 8 days after birth. In some tribes of Africa and South America, and in Islam, female circumcision, involving removal of all or part of the clitoris, is practiced.