Emasculation
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, the potential medical consequences of emasculation are more extensive due to the complications arising from the removal of the penis.
The term emasculation may be used in a metaphorical sense, referring to the perceived loss of attributes traditionally associated with masculinity, such as strength, power, or autonomy.
[13] Some studies have found that emasculation may cause a range of physiological changes, such as a shortened torso,[14] widened stomach and hips,[15] increased height, bowed legs,[14] and an elongated skull.
[14] Additionally, emasculates typically have less or no facial and body hair,[16] increased fatty tissue or gynecomastia,[16] and a feminine fat pattern distribution.
[19] The practice dates back to the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC)[20] and continued up until 1924,[21] when the eunuch system was abolished by the last emperor of China, Puyi.
In the Qing dynasty, men began volunteering to undergo the procedure in order to gain employment, although instances of forced emasculation still occurred.
[24] One reason why recipients willingly underwent emasculation is that they saw employment as a palace eunuch as a way to acquire wealth and power.
[30] To prepare for the operation, the recipient was bathed in cold water to numb his senses and, in some instances, his genitals were twisted to reduce blood flow.
[32] Styptic powder was then applied to the wound to stop bleeding, and a pewter needle or spigot was inserted into the urethra to prevent stenosis (narrowing).
[34] To create eunuchs for the Arab slave trade, young black boys from South East Africa typically had their penis and scrotum amputated.
[43] Emasculation was preferable because it rendered a recipient physically incapable of engaging in sinful sexual conduct, allowing them to attain a higher level of purity.
Many Skoptsy were peasants and were familiar with animal husbandry, which meant their emasculation procedures were often performed with "surgical precision.
[36] Throughout the Indian subcontinent tradition, including India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, some members of the Hijra community reportedly undergo emasculation, or nirvan.
[56] The penis and testes are tied together with a string, and the elder then makes two diagonal cuts with a sharp surgical knife to completely excise the organs.
[57] The elder allows the blood to gush from the wound, which is considered necessary to completely cleanse the recipient of their male parts.
This is one reason why the procedure is performed by an elder rather than a medical professional, who might try to stop the haemorrhage, thus interfering with the ritual's cleansing effect.
[61] The first evidence of its use dates to the Shang dynasty (1700–1100 BC), when the characters for a knife and male genitalia were carved into oracle bones.
[68] For example, in one case a person is reported to have mutilated his genitals after experiencing auditory hallucinations telling him he would only be allowed into the kingdom of heaven if he emasculated himself.
[73] When compared with the general population, transgender persons are at a higher risk of engaging in acts of genital self-mutilation, including self-emasculation.
[78] For non-binary transgender people, the purpose of emasculation is to make the body less congruent with one's biological sex without the subsequent assumption of femininity.
[80] In some circumstances, a person may be emasculated involuntarily as the result of an accident,[81] as part of a ritual attack,[82] or due to poor circumcision practice.
[84] From 1960 to 2000, involuntarily emasculated infants were surgically reassigned female, similar to the treatment received by David Reimer after his penis was burnt off during a circumcision procedure.
