Castration

This page contains recent news articles, when available, and an overview of Castration but does not offer medical advice. You should contact your physician with regard to any health issues or concerns.

Background information on Castration

Castration, gelding, neutering, orchiectomy or orchidectomy is any action, surgical, chemical or otherwise, by which a biological male loses use of the testes. This causes sterilization, i.e. prevents them from reproducing; it also greatly reduces the production of certain hormones, such as testosterone. It should not be confused with penectomy, which is the whole or partial removal of the penis.

The term "castration" is sometimes also used to refer to the removal of the ovaries in the non-male, otherwise known as an oophorectomy or, in animals, spaying. The estrogen that the non-males produce becomes obsolete with this surgical procedure.

Castration in humans

History

Castration was frequently used in certain cultures, such as in Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa or China, for religious or social reasons. After battles, winners castrated their captives or bodies of the defeated to symbolise their victory and 'seize' their power. Castrated men - eunuchs - were often admitted to special social classes. Eunuchs were also often used to guard harems. Castration also figured in a number of religious cults: see castration cults. Other religions, for example Judaism, were strongly opposed to the practice.

In Europe, when women were not allowed to sing in public, young boys were sometimes castrated to prevent their voices breaking at puberty and to develop a special high voice. These men, known as castrati were very popular in the Eighteenth Century. The practice of employing castrati lasted longest in Italian churches, most notoriously in the Sistine Chapel Choir. [1] [2]

Remains of transsexual women or transgendered people from as far back as the Roman era have been uncovered and confirmed to have undergone castration.

Castration in humans has been proposed, and sometimes used, as a method of birth control in certain poorer regions.

Reasons

Surgical removal of a testicle is done in the case of testicular cancer. Surgical removal of both testicles or chemical castration may be carried out in the case of prostate cancer, as hormone treatment to slow down the cancer. [3]

Male-to-female transsexual women, as well as some transgendered people, often undergo castration. Castration can be done before, during, or in place of sex reassignment surgery.

A temporary chemical castration has been studied and developed as a preventive measure and punishment for several repeated sex crimes such as rape or other sexually related violence. Chemical or surgical castration is being discussed in many countries in particular as a voluntary surgical measure: an option for child molesters to avoid (long-term) imprisonment. In the case of chemical castration, regular injections of anti-androgens would probably be required. However, this treatment is not as effective as commonly believed, for there have been numerous cases of castrated men continuing to molest children.

There is also evidence that voluntary castration is used in modern societies for reasons such as control of libido, body modification, and in some cases of extreme sexual masochism, for purposes of sexual excitement (see paraphilia and apotemnophilia). Since voluntary castration is not generally supported by the medical community, an underground network of castrators (generally called "cutters") without medical licenses has formed. Surgery performed by untrained personnel outside a properly equipped medical facility is dangerous, and there have been cases of severe bleeding and other medical emergencies. Alternatively, self-castration (or autocastration) is occasionally performed, though it carries significant risk. Many who desire castration travel to developing countries, where medicine is less tightly regulated, and have the procedure performed by a doctor.

Involuntary castration also appears in the history of warfare, sometimes used by one side to torture or demoralize their enemies. It was also practiced to extinguish opposing male lineages and thus allow the victor to possess the defeated men's women. Involuntary castration under such circumstances involved excruciating pain and humiliation as well as various physical, social, and psychological consequences. Ancient Greek writings report Persian forces castrating defeated foes. Tamerlane was recorded to have castrated Armenian prisoners of war who had fought as allies of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I; others were buried alive. Gibbon's famous work, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire reports castration of defeated foes at the hands of the Normans. The Vietcong have sometimes been accused of castrating US war prisoners, Vietnamese village elders, and others who opposed their policies. Castration has also been used in modern conflicts, as the Janjaweed militiamen currently (as of 2005) attacking citizens of the Darfur region in Sudan often castrate villagers as part of a campaign of terror.

Sima Qian, the famous Chinese Historian, was castrated by order of the Emperor of China for dissent. Another famous victim of castration was the medieval monk Abelard, castrated by his lover's relatives.

The Heaven's Gate cult of Marshall Applewhite had several male members, including Applewhite himself, who underwent castration for religious reasons.

Medical consequences

A subject of castration who is castrated before the onset of puberty will retain his high voice, slight build and small genitals, will not develop pubic hair, and will have a small sex drive or none at all.

In ancient times castration often involved the total removal of all the male genitalia. This involved great danger of death due to bleeding or infection, and in some states such as the Byzantine Empire was seen as the same as a death sentence. Removal of only the testicles entailed much less risk. That said, the Hijras of India still practice the total removal of the male genitalia.

Castrations after the onset of puberty will typically reduce the sex drive considerably or eliminate it altogether. Castrates can, however, still have erections, orgasms and ejaculations. The voice will normally not change. Some castrates report mood changes, such as depression or a more serene outlook on life. Body strength and muscle mass can decrease somewhat. Body hair may or may not decrease. Castration prevents baldness.

In China, male castration of a person who entered the caste of eunuchs under imperial times involved the removal of all genitalia, that is, the removal of the penis, testicles and scrotum. The removed organs were returned to the eunuch, to be interred with him once he dies, so upon rebirth, he could become a whole man again. The penis, testicles and scrotum were euphemistically termed as bao (?) in Mandarin Chinese, which literally means 'precious treasure'. Consequently, eunuchs suffered from a range of urogenital problems associated with the removal of their sexual organs, and they had their own specialist doctors who catered to their health needs.

Castration In Veterinary Practice

Castration is common in animal husbandry and animal fancy, where it is intended for favouring a given desired development of the animal or of its habits.

In animal fancy

Usually domestic pets are subject to castration in order to avoid sexual frustration or sexual contacts and consequent reproduction. In the case of pets, this is usually called neutering. breeding specimens are kept entire and fetch higher prices when sold.

In animal husbandry

In the food industry, cattle and other ruminants are often castrated in order to increase their weight and improve the taste of the meat (with the advantage of relevant economies of scale for the breeder). Male animals may also be castrated in order to make them more tractable.

A specialized vocabulary has arisen for neutered animals of given species:

Barrow (pig)
Bullock (cattle)
Capon (chicken)
Dinmont (sheep, goat)
Gelding (horse)
Gib (cat)
Havier (deer)
Hog (pig)
Lapin (rabbit)
Ox (cattle)
Stag (primarily cattle)
Steer (cattle)
Wether (sheep)

Certain animals, like horses and swine, are usually treated with a scrotal castration (which can be done with the animal standing), while others, like dogs and cats, with a pre-scrotal castration (with the animal recumbent).

Methods of veterinary castration include surgical removal, the use of an elastrator tool to secure a band around the testicles that disrupts the blood supply, the use of a Burdizzo tool to crush the spermatic cords and disrupt the blood supply, pharmacological injections and implants and immunological techniques to inoculate the animal against its own sexual hormones.

From Wikipedia

News Articles on Castration

It's all (really weird) news to me  -  05 Apr 2008
Lahontan Valley News,It is now illegal to perform "cosmetic castration" in Thailand. Apparently, a cosmetic castration is a partial sex-change operation that only involves the

Not THIS Woman - Not THIS Moment  -  05 Apr 2008
OpEdNews,There are practices like arranged marriages, honor killings, forced abortions, sexual slavery, and female castration that we, as a world power,

TopFinds: From the Dangers of Using Cellphones to the New Benefit ...  -  05 Apr 2008
DigitalJournal.com,Theodora L. explained; cosmetic castration for would-be "lady boys" has been banned in Thailand, Susan Duclos posted (I don't think the words "cosmetic"

The Daily News  -  05 Apr 2008
Western Star,As a grand finale to the castration scene, we could have 100 sealers rushing to the aid of the seals and laying about them with clubs until every castrator

Opinion: Government paedophile plans are a confusing web of ideas  -  05 Apr 2008
Tech Digest,The threat of castration? A life term in jail? Perhaps even death by lethal injection? We've all had those "If I were Home Secretary" moments and this is

Thai government bans ladyboys castration  -  Apr 3, 2008
Telegraph.co.uk,By Andrew Drummond in Bangkok The Thai government today imposed a nationwide ban on the castration of young boys seeking to join the country's thousands of

Thailand bans cosmetic castration  -  Apr 2, 2008
Swissinfo,...clinics have responded to demand from teenage boys to look more like girls by posting Internet advertisements offering castration for as little as 4000

The Castration Of Bear Stearns  -  Apr 1, 2008
Forbes,I took a Valium on Sunday night, March 16. My sense of foreboding was comparable with how I felt the eve of Black Monday some 20 years ago.

Young boys warned not to seek early castration  -  Mar 27, 2008
Bangkok Post,But Elle is scared of having it done after seeing a video clip and reading information about castration, which is heavily advertised on the internet.

Okla. Man to Be Tried in Near Castration  -  Mar 26, 2008
The Associated Press...a man Wednesday to stand trial on a felony assault charge after a bar confrontation that escalated from football trash-talking to a near castration.

Ministry bans operations to remove testes  -  Apr 1, 2008
Bangkok Post,The Medical Council of Thailand last week also warned that castration is a health risk. Providing the operation for young boys was unethical and could

The joy of being a eunuch Marc Abrahams  -  Apr 1, 2008
Guardian,In a study called A Passion for Castration: Characterising Men Who Are Fascinated With Castration, But Have Not Been Castrated, Wassersug and colleagues

A more open, informed attitude to sexual identity  -  Apr 3, 2008
Nation Multimedia,Castration of young boys is now a controversial issue being closely watched by socieyty as a whole and debated bydifferent groups.

Right, that's it, we're outta here  -  Apr 3, 2008
Irish Independent,The local Medical Council has even intervened to warn that: â€œCastration can have damaging long-term effects.â€? Really? You mean chopping off the Old Chap

Castration of a man in Sirsa, Haryana  -  Mar 30, 2008
MyNews.in,Eunuchs castrated a man in Sirsa two days ago. He was a dholakia (drum player) with their troupe. They had approached him to accompany them on a round to

Thailand launches anti-castration campaign  -  Mar 27, 2008
Monsters and Critics.comIt also warned that castration would not necessarily enhance ones femininity. 'There is no medical or scientific evidence that removing a boy's testicles

Castration of piglets on EU agenda  -  Mar 25, 2008
PigProgress.net,The discussion about castration of piglets with anaesthetics is not confined to the Netherlands. In Switzerland, Norway and Belgium the topic is gaining

The Sixth Sense  -  Apr 2, 2008
Catanduanes Tribune,They do this by living in a eunuch colony where after a year or two of integration, they submit themselves to castration. They dress like women.

two articles on transgender  -  Apr 3, 2008
clusterflock,Thailand has banned castration as a means to an inexpensive alternative to gender reassignment surgery. However, senior health official Tara Chinakarn

FDA Approves Cougar's Late-stage Trial Design Of CB7630 To Treat ...  -  Apr 1, 2008
RTT News,Phase III clinical trial of its lead drug candidate CB7630 or abiraterone acetate for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Colorado College Satire Causes A Stir  -  Apr 1, 2008
Evening Bulletin,..."One flyer that mentions 'male castration' is not violence, but a flyer that makes fun of it by mentioning 'chainsaws' is prohibited?

'Teeth' (excess symbolism, gore dull film's bite)  -  Mar 27, 2008
Chicago Tribune,The legend plays on castration anxiety and on qualms about female sexuality and feminine mysteries, and writer-director Lichtenstein explores those ancient

Transsexual Sentenced For Threatening Butler Co. Officials  -  Apr 1, 2008
Pittsburgh Channel.com,A Butler County transsexual serving time for the castration death of her husband has been sentenced to more time for threatening prosecutors and witnesses

Keeping your man in check, Cheryl-style  -  Mar 28, 2008
Guardian,Yesterday, the Cashley Castration Roadshow docked at the Daily Mirror, where our heroine stumbled deftly into a confession that she's long had the hots for

On microwaving babies and ripping scrotums  -  Mar 27, 2008
Dallas Morning News,OKLAHOMA CITY - A judge on Wednesday ordered a man to stand trial on a felony assault charge for a bar confrontation that resulted in a near-castration.

Ferring's degarelix offers exciting option for prostate cancer  -  Mar 28, 2008
Pharma Times (subscription),The Phase III study compared the effect of monthly degarelix with that of standard chemical castration (7.5mg monthly doses of the LHRH agonist leuprorelin)

The unkindest cut  -  Mar 28, 2008
Nation Multimedia,In fact, these boys should undergo a process of psychological testing to prepare themselves and to ensure they are ready for castration.

THE LOWDOWN: First brush  -  Mar 13, 2008
The Nation Newspaper,The lady Cornelia from the Hope Sanctuary lists wonderful benefits of castration. She obviously has never been a man. However, I favour both execution and

'Munday' Gets Everyone From Esther Bloomenbergen... to Lando ...  -  Mar 27, 2008
Cinematical,Now, continuing the uniqueness, this castration comedy is getting a diverse cast. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Judy Greer, Chloe Sevigny,

Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a ...  -  Mar 25, 2008
FeministeThen they want to go all 1787 on our asses, and bring us back to the good old days when castration was punishment for a blowjob, women couldnâ€™t vote,

Castrated Turkey â€“ some Freudian problems  -  Mar 7, 2008
Turkish Daily News (subscription),Reading about psychoanalysis was almost like a plague among my friends and I. In those days, it dawned on us that in spite of Freud's well known â€œcastration

Tale of the ancient bed-keepers  -  Apr 2, 2008
Merinews,Byzantines bought eunuchs from the coasts of Black Sea and castration was regularly practiced in Byzantium even though it was maintained that Christians did

Movie review: Raunchy 'Teeth' plays Uptown late show  -  Mar 6, 2008
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription),A classic symbol of men's fear of castration and female sexuality, it appears in folklore worldwide but hasn't had much of a presence in pop culture.

Points on Pets: Avoiding the 'pregnant paws  -  Apr 4, 2008
Bend Weekly,The idea of castration is offensive to us. Why is our veterinarian so opposed to the procedure? A: It might be that your current veterinarian is unfamiliar

LETTER: Women, take your health into your own hands-get informed  -  Mar 19, 2008
Spring Grove Herald,Hysterectomy, the removal of uterus, or female castration, the removal of ovaries, is a damaging surgery and has lifelong consequences.

Hansen sentenced to 25 years to life  -  Mar 13, 2008
Victorville Daily Press,Hansen even went so far as to undergo a voluntary castration before his release in 2006. He served a 13-year sentence for a 1994 conviction,

Formby vet under suspicion  -  Mar 13, 2008
icSeftonandWestLancs,While this was ongoing, Mr Oakes performed a castration operation on a horse privately owned by a woman in Formby, which left it in considerable pain and

Property in France: C'est la folie  -  Apr 2, 2008
Telegraph.co.uk,I know even less about trees than I know about lamb castration or the ingredients of andouillette. But I do know that the gnarled old box tree - le buis

Bogus vet probe after complaints  -  Mar 20, 2008
icSeftonandWestLancs,Allegations were made against Russell Lewis Oakes, 41, from Hesketh Bank, by a horse owner from Formby following the castration ofa horse in November last

Thailand bans castrations  -  Apr 2, 2008
Melbourne Herald Sun,Castration costs as little as 4000 baht ($144), a tiny fraction of the total cost of gender reassignment surgery. Thailand is famously tolerant of

Netherlands Outlaws Bestiality, Animal Porn  -  Mar 17, 2008
ShortNews.com,The two MPs from the Party for Animals are disappointed with the law. They had hoped to outlaw pig castration and bovine artificial insemination at the same

Man gets 25 years for molesting toddler  -  Apr 3, 2008
Marconews (subscription),Castration couldn't hurt, unfortunately with offenders of this sort, it possibly wouldn't deter him. The children that he's victimized deserve at least that

Electric Sky Ranks High In Industry Survey  -  Mar 14, 2008
4RFV,Key commissions include The Castration Cure, 1 x 60 documentary for Channel Four, Fat Doctor, Series 1 & 2, a 6 x 50 minute series on Discovery Home

As New York Governor Eliot Spitzer Resigns, Our Voices Of Reason ...  -  Mar 13, 2008
theVoiceofReason.com (satire),...like to have my legislators get their hands dirty. I do draw the line at them getting their penises dirty, however. Castration is simply too good for him."

Stopping the Trend  -  Apr 3, 2008
Dublin Courier Herald,...â€œHis sentence was one of the longest ever handed down,â€? Fraser said, â€œhe got 220 years in the Department of Corrections, with a court ordered castration

Letters -- Published March 13, 2008  -  Mar 13, 2008
Stockton Record,How about a life sentence for these offenders, and if they are released, the condition of parole would be mandatory castration? Call me barbaric, mean,

It's hard to rate how the West was WAN  -  Apr 3, 2008
The Australian,One participant has been dreaming up suitable punishments for anyone found to have behaved wrongly -- castration. Perhaps, the Australian Securities

A French designer has invented the world's first sex doll for dogs  -  Mar 9, 2008
The Cheers,...a big sexual appetite that is difficult to control. Using the doll is a better way of controlling excited hounds than castration which goes against nature."

Golden Gate man charged with lewd behavior, cocaine possession  -  Apr 2, 2008
Marconews (subscription),The only sex offender I ever saw that stayed straight had opted for the gonad guillotine--castration--in Texas to reduce his sentence. Sounds worth trying.

Cougar announces agreement with FDA on protocol for prostate ...  -  Apr 2, 2008
Trading Markets (press release),...placebo-controlled trial of CB7630 plus prednisone in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have failed docetaxel-based

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