Editing Castration (section)

{{Short description|Surgical or chemical action that removes use of testicles}}
{{About|the practice as applied to humans|livestock and pets|Neutering}}
{{Distinguish|Penis removal|Emasculation}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
[[File:Charaf-ed-Din. Operation for castration (1466).jpg|thumb|270px|A 15th century [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] medical illustration by [[Sabuncuoğlu Şerafeddin]] depicting an operation for castration]]
{{Violence against men}}
'''Castration''' is any action, [[surgery|surgical]], [[chemical substance|chemical]], or otherwise, by which a [[male]] loses use of the [[testicles]]: the male [[gonad]]. Surgical castration is bilateral [[orchiectomy]] (excision of both testicles), while [[chemical castration]] uses [[pharmaceutical drug]]s to deactivate the testes. Some forms of castration cause [[sterilization (medicine)|sterilization]] (permanently preventing the castrated person or animal from [[reproduction|reproducing]]); it also greatly reduces the production of [[hormone]]s, such as [[testosterone]] and [[estrogen]]. Surgical castration in animals is often called [[neutering]].

[[#Other animals|Castration of animals]] is intended to favor a desired development of the animal or of its habits, as an [[anaphrodisiac]] or to prevent [[overpopulation]]. The parallel of castration for female animals is [[spaying]]. Castration may also refer medically to [[oophorectomy]] in female humans and animals.

The term ''castration'' may also be sometimes used to refer to [[emasculation]] where both the testicles ''and'' the penis are removed together. In some cultures, and in some translations, no distinction is made between the two.