Also, I have read in many, many places that in the US and other English speaking countries, circumcision became very popular due to a desire to curb masturbation because self-pleasure was seen as self-abuse and a mental disorder. Wikipedia says:

Non-religious circumcision in English-speaking countries arose in a climate of negative attitudes towards sex, especially concerning masturbation. In her 1978 article The Ritual of Circumcision,[19] Karen Erickson Paige writes: "In the United States, the current medical rationale for circumcision developed after the operation was in wide practice. The original reason for the surgical removal of the foreskin, or prepuce, was to control 'masturbatory insanity' - the range of mental disorders that people believed were caused by the 'polluting' practice of 'self-abuse.'"

And, interestingly enough, at the same time that male circumcision was becoming so popular as a way to curb masturbation, so was female circumcision.

Lots of interesting information out there.

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Mary Beth - 31
DH - 30
Baby Kian - 3/24/07
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