Wikipedia Eunuch
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:59 pm
I have, today, added a new section to the article Eunuch in Wikipedia. Its posted below, and I would like to invite comments and discussion on it. Given the nature of Wikipedia, it will probably be seriously altered within the next day or two. This is the original:
Eunuchs in the Contemporary World
There may be more castrated men in the world today than ever before in human history. Most of these men would not consider themselves to be eunuchs, but they fit all of the characteristics other than acceptance of the label.
While the hijra of India (see above) may number as many as 2,000,000[26] and are usually described as eunuchs, most of them should probably be better described as Male-to-Female transsexuals who can gain castration surgery, but seldom have access to hormones. Because of the loss of testosterone and lack of estrogen for transitioning, their bodies take on the characteristics of post-pubertal eunuchs.
The most commonly castrated men are not the hijra, however, but advanced prostate cancer patients. In the United States alone there are more than 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed each year. It is estimated that over 80,000 of these men will be surgically or chemically castrated within six months of diagnosis.[27] The relative cost advantage of surgical castration means that it is increasing in frequency. With the average life expectancy after castration, there are approximately a half million chemically or surgically castrated prostate cancer patients at any time in the U.S. alone. While most of these men would deny the term eunuch, they meet all physiological characteristics of post-pubertal eunuchs. Some do, however, embrace the term for the historic and psychological grounding that it gives them.[28] [29]
While treatment of testicular cancer frequently involves removal of one testicle, it seldom requires removal of both. Accidents involving the loss of both testicles are also rare. In the case of both testicular cancer patients and accident victims, testosterone replacement therapy prevents the individuals from experiencing the hormone loss that characterizes true eunuchs.
Convicted sex offenders, who have been castrated, are also very few in number, although a lack of testosterone and the consequent ability to better control their own libido does result in a recidivism rate approaching zero.[30] The general public often thinks that they are much more common than they are.
The most common group that actually embraces the term eunuch are the contemporary voluntary eunuchs, who number 7,000 to 10,000 in North America, with many more around the world.[31] [32] [33]
Many of these are males who have a Male-to-Eunuch Gender Dysphoria. While they are born with male parts, their brain tells them that they are not male, but neither are they female. They seek castration to align their bodies with their brain sex. A second large group of the contemporary eunuchs have a Body Integrity Identity Disorder. This occurs when the brain does not accept the presence of some specific body part. Surgery is often the only way to effect a cure. The balance of contemporary voluntary eunuchs are scattered across a wide variety of paraphilias.
A gathering place on the Internet for contemporary voluntary eunuchs, and for those interested in castration, is the Eunuch Archive, a web site with 3,500 registered members, but visited by hundreds of thousands of unique IP addresses each month.[34]
REFERENCES:
26 Reddy, Gayatri, With Respect to Sex: Negotiating Hijra Identity in South India, 310 pp., University of Chicago Press, 2005 ISBN 0226707555 (see p. 8)
27 Shaninian, Vahakn B., et al. (2006), Determinants of Androgen Deprivation Therapy Use for Prostate Cancer: Role of the Urologist. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol. 98, pp. 839-45
28 Wassersug, Richard J. (2007 ), Disfiguring Treatment? No, It Was Healing. The New York Times, March 27 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/health/27case.html
29 Wassersug, Richard J. (2003). Castration anxiety. OUT, September 2003, pp. 66-72. http://www.eunuch.org/Alpha/C/ea_195222castrati.htm
30 Wille, Reinhard & Klaus M. Beier (1989), Castration in Germany. Annals of Sex Research, vol. 2, pp. 103-33
31 Johnson, Thomas W, et al. (2007). Eunuchs in contemporary society: Characterizing men who are voluntarily castrated (Part I). Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol. 4, pp. 930945
32 Brett, Michelle A, et al. (2007). Eunuchs in contemporary society: Expectations, consequences, and adjustments to castration (Part II). Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol. 4, pp. 946955
33 Roberts, Lesley F, et al. (2008). A passion for castration: Characterizing men who are fascinated with castration, but have not been castrated. Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol. 5, pp. 16691680
34 Eunuch Archive
Eunuchs in the Contemporary World
There may be more castrated men in the world today than ever before in human history. Most of these men would not consider themselves to be eunuchs, but they fit all of the characteristics other than acceptance of the label.
While the hijra of India (see above) may number as many as 2,000,000[26] and are usually described as eunuchs, most of them should probably be better described as Male-to-Female transsexuals who can gain castration surgery, but seldom have access to hormones. Because of the loss of testosterone and lack of estrogen for transitioning, their bodies take on the characteristics of post-pubertal eunuchs.
The most commonly castrated men are not the hijra, however, but advanced prostate cancer patients. In the United States alone there are more than 200,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed each year. It is estimated that over 80,000 of these men will be surgically or chemically castrated within six months of diagnosis.[27] The relative cost advantage of surgical castration means that it is increasing in frequency. With the average life expectancy after castration, there are approximately a half million chemically or surgically castrated prostate cancer patients at any time in the U.S. alone. While most of these men would deny the term eunuch, they meet all physiological characteristics of post-pubertal eunuchs. Some do, however, embrace the term for the historic and psychological grounding that it gives them.[28] [29]
While treatment of testicular cancer frequently involves removal of one testicle, it seldom requires removal of both. Accidents involving the loss of both testicles are also rare. In the case of both testicular cancer patients and accident victims, testosterone replacement therapy prevents the individuals from experiencing the hormone loss that characterizes true eunuchs.
Convicted sex offenders, who have been castrated, are also very few in number, although a lack of testosterone and the consequent ability to better control their own libido does result in a recidivism rate approaching zero.[30] The general public often thinks that they are much more common than they are.
The most common group that actually embraces the term eunuch are the contemporary voluntary eunuchs, who number 7,000 to 10,000 in North America, with many more around the world.[31] [32] [33]
Many of these are males who have a Male-to-Eunuch Gender Dysphoria. While they are born with male parts, their brain tells them that they are not male, but neither are they female. They seek castration to align their bodies with their brain sex. A second large group of the contemporary eunuchs have a Body Integrity Identity Disorder. This occurs when the brain does not accept the presence of some specific body part. Surgery is often the only way to effect a cure. The balance of contemporary voluntary eunuchs are scattered across a wide variety of paraphilias.
A gathering place on the Internet for contemporary voluntary eunuchs, and for those interested in castration, is the Eunuch Archive, a web site with 3,500 registered members, but visited by hundreds of thousands of unique IP addresses each month.[34]
REFERENCES:
26 Reddy, Gayatri, With Respect to Sex: Negotiating Hijra Identity in South India, 310 pp., University of Chicago Press, 2005 ISBN 0226707555 (see p. 8)
27 Shaninian, Vahakn B., et al. (2006), Determinants of Androgen Deprivation Therapy Use for Prostate Cancer: Role of the Urologist. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, vol. 98, pp. 839-45
28 Wassersug, Richard J. (2007 ), Disfiguring Treatment? No, It Was Healing. The New York Times, March 27 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/health/27case.html
29 Wassersug, Richard J. (2003). Castration anxiety. OUT, September 2003, pp. 66-72. http://www.eunuch.org/Alpha/C/ea_195222castrati.htm
30 Wille, Reinhard & Klaus M. Beier (1989), Castration in Germany. Annals of Sex Research, vol. 2, pp. 103-33
31 Johnson, Thomas W, et al. (2007). Eunuchs in contemporary society: Characterizing men who are voluntarily castrated (Part I). Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol. 4, pp. 930945
32 Brett, Michelle A, et al. (2007). Eunuchs in contemporary society: Expectations, consequences, and adjustments to castration (Part II). Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol. 4, pp. 946955
33 Roberts, Lesley F, et al. (2008). A passion for castration: Characterizing men who are fascinated with castration, but have not been castrated. Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol. 5, pp. 16691680
34 Eunuch Archive
