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Castration (also referred as: gelding, neutering, orchiectomy, and orchidectomy) is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a biological male loses use of the testes. This causes sterilization, preventing him from reproducing; it also greatly reduces the production of certain hormones, such as testosterone. It is usually considered painful, and in some countries is used as torture. It should not be confused with penectomy, which is the whole or partial removal of the penis, nor with vasectomy, which is a procedure to sterilize a male by blocking the vas deferens, the tubes that connect the testicles to the prostate.

The term castration is sometimes also used to refer to the removal of the ovaries in the female, otherwise known as an oophorectomy or, in animals, spaying. This is similar to male castration, as it causes females to stop producing estrogen, and makes them infertile.

Castration in humans


History

The practice of castration has roots before recorded human history. Castration was frequently used in certain cultures, such as in Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa and 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 and were used to guard harems. Castration also figured in a number of religious cults, such as the ancient Roman cult of Cybele: see castration cults. Other religions, for example Judaism, were strongly opposed to the practice.

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SatanicVegan (dani has rabies) Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:55:53 -0000
an unnamed friend has agreed to loaning me 2000 bucks. per a statement made yesterday on twitter, I will be live-tweeting my orchiectomy.
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paddy_booth (Paddy Booth) Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:11:40 -0000
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Meta Description: [ This page tells you about orchidectomy for prostate cancer. You can scroll down the page to read all the information here. ]

Prostate Cancer InfoLink - About the use of orchiectomy to treat prostate cancer, including advantages and disadvantages.
Meta Description: [ Orchiectomy, from Prostate Cancer Infolink web site, preserved at Phoenix5. ]

The TCRC Orchiectomy Page - A description of orchiectomy surgery, used in the treatment of testicular cancer with commonly asked questions and answers.
Meta Description: [ This page contains a description of the orchiectomy, the initial surgery used in the treatment of testicular cancer. ]

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