, ▁cas tr ation ▁has ▁been ▁reported ▁among ▁slave ▁boys ▁in ▁South ▁Asia . ▁It ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁confused ▁with ▁chemical ▁cas tr ation . ▁ ▁H emi - c astr ation ▁The ▁removal ▁of ▁one ▁test icle ▁( s ometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁un il ater al ▁cas tr ation ) ▁is ▁usually ▁done ▁in ▁the ▁modern ▁world ▁only ▁for ▁medical ▁reasons . ▁ ▁Circ um c ision ▁ ▁Circ um c ision ▁is ▁the ▁surg ical ▁removal ▁of ▁part ▁or ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁for esk in ▁from ▁the ▁pen is . ▁It ▁is ▁usually ▁performed ▁for ▁religious , ▁cultural ▁or ▁medical ▁reasons ▁and ▁leaves ▁some ▁or ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁gl ans ▁perman ently ▁exposed . ▁Jews ▁and ▁many ▁Americans ▁typically ▁have ▁their ▁inf ants ▁circum c ised ▁during ▁the ▁ne on atal ▁period , ▁while ▁Filip inos , ▁most ▁Muslim s ▁and ▁African ▁communities ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Ma as ai ▁and ▁X h osa ▁circum c ise ▁in ▁te en age ▁years ▁or ▁child hood ▁as ▁an ▁init iation ▁into ▁ad ul th ood . ▁ ▁In ▁modern ▁medicine , ▁circum c ision ▁may ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁treatment ▁for ▁severe ▁ph imos is ▁or ▁rec urrent ▁bal an itis ▁that ▁has ▁not ▁respond ed ▁to ▁more ▁conserv ative ▁treat ments . ▁Adv oc acy ▁is ▁often ▁centered ▁on ▁prevent ive ▁medicine , ▁while ▁opposition ▁is ▁often ▁centered ▁on ▁human ▁rights ▁( part icular ly ▁the ▁bod ily ▁integrity ▁of ▁the ▁infant ▁when ▁circum c ision ▁is ▁performed ▁in ▁the ▁ne on