A eunuch is a person who has had their testicles removed, usually by choice and for personal or social reasons rather than medical or legal reasons. This practice and community have been described throughout recorded history in cultures all over the world.
Some members of the eunuch community describe themselves as male-to-eunuch (MtE or M2E). Some describe themselves as male-to-not-male. Some identify as gender diverse. Some identify as cisgender men, and having this procedure is not related to their gender identity or expression. Some people with removed testicles do not identify as eunuchs or consider themselves part of the community.
Procedures
There are two kinds of procedures available to eunuchs:
- orchiectomy (in a modern surgical setting)
- castration (outside a medical setting – not recommended)
Some non-eunuchs have these procedures done, including some transgender women, transfeminine people, and gender diverse people. Some cisgender people have an orchiectomy to treat or prevent a disease like certain cancers.
Castrating yourself or having it done by an unqualified person is dangerous and could cause unwanted side effects or death. Castration methods used for animals like elastrators, burdizzos, or twisting should not be done on humans. For details, please see the castration page.
Eunuchs and genital modification
Some eunuchs are also interested in other forms of lasting genital modification. This can include:
- genital piercings
- genital tattoos
- genital scarring
- genital branding
- genital implants (pearling, etc.)
- genital injections
- circumcision
- circumcision revision
- foreskin restoration
- urethra modification
- meatotomy
- subincision
Some eunuchs are also interested in other surgeries. Some combine removal of the testicles with scrotectomy (removal of the scrotum) and/or penectomy (removal of the penis). Some people who do orchiectomy, scrotectomy, and penectomy call themselves emasculated or a nullo or a smoothie.
Disease models
Some biased people describe eunuchs in metaphors of disease and impairment. This can include pejorative or medicalized terms such as:
- mutilation
- disfigurement
- butchery
- self-harm
- self-injury
- body integrity identity disorder
- paraphilia
- parasuicide
Although some of the resources listed below use these terms, I do not endorse disease models to describe the community. Disease models are not value-neutral and therefore not scientific.
Eunuchs and sexuality
Some people with an interest in the eunuch community have an erotic or autoerotic interest in castration that may be related to other erotic interests. Some may be attracted to eunuchs. Some may have fantasies about having the procedure done or doing it to someone else. They may find erotic materials like stories or images depicting eunuchs to be interesting. They may identify as straight, gay, bisexual, asexual, and/or other sexual identities.
Some people with an erotic interest in the eunuch community are part of the kink community. Some kink-related interests or practices that may overlap with interest in the eunuch community include:
- chastity
- bondage
- domination
- sadism
- masochism
- “cock and ball torture” (CBT)
- penises at the lower end of the size range
- penis size change, especially shrinking
- temporary genital manipulation
- compressing or restricting
- banding
- stretching
- jelging
- injections like saline
- vacuums
Some people who are transgender and/or attracted to transgender people may have overlapping erotic or autoerotic interests with the eunuch community. According to my analysis below of reddit groups related to eunuchs, there is overlap with older transitioners, crossdressers, the sissy community, and people who are attracted to transfeminine people with small penises, especially when shrunk following orchiectomy and/or antiandrogen use.
Eunuchs and transgender people
Many transgender and gender diverse people share an interest in orchiectomy with eunuchs. Some share an interest in castration, which may also have an erotic or autoerotic component.
In 2021, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) announced proposed standards of care for eunuch community healthcare. WPATH appointed psychologist Kit Rachlin, anthropologist Thomas Johnson, and endocrinologist Michael S. Irwig to review the WPATH standards of care revision with eunuch community input.
Resources
The Eunuch Archive (eunuch.org)
The Eunuch Archive Forum (forums.eunuch.org)
BME (bme.com)
reddit (reddit.com)
Note: links include images of genital modification
- eunuchs
- orchiectomy
- M2E
- Castrations (procedure descriptions and images)
- emptysacks [banned]
- nullo [banned]
References
Selected books
S Tougher – 2002 Eunuchs in antiquity and beyond
KM Ringrose – History Compass, 2007 Eunuchs in historical perspective
Selected medical and scientific research
Differences in the Psychological, Sexual, and Childhood Experiences Among Men with Extreme Interests in Voluntary Castration Arch Sex Behav 2021 Apr;50(3):1167-1182. doi: 10.1007/s10508-020-01808-6. Epub 2020 Sep 15.
Eunuchs in contemporary society: Characterizing men who are voluntarily castrated (Part I) TW Johnson, MA Brett, LF Roberts… – The journal of sexual …, 2007
Modern-day eunuchs: motivations for and consequences of contemporary castration RJ Wassersug, TW Johnson – Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 2007
Low Values for Sebum in Eunuchs and öphorectomized Women. JB Hamilton, GE Mestler – Proceedings of the Society for …, 1963
The eunuchs of India: An endocrine eye opener S Kalra – Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism, 2012
Long-term consequences of castration in men: lessons from the Skoptzy and the eunuchs of the Chinese and Ottoman courts JD Wilson, C Roehrborn – The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology …, 1999 –
KJ Min, CK Lee, HN Park – Current Biology, 2012 The lifespan of Korean eunuchs
Eunuchs in contemporary society: expectations, consequences, and adjustments to castration. J Sex Med. 2007 Jul;4(4 Pt 1):946-55.
The prostate in eunuchs. CP Wu, FL Gu – Progress in clinical and biological research, 1991 –
Historic online eunuch resources
These resources are no longer online and are left here for historical purposes.
- beavercleaver.net [archive]
- bodymodification.com [archive]
- bmezine.com [archive]
- alt.eunuchs.questions [narkive]
- americaneunuchs.com [archive]
- American Eunuchs is a 2004 documentary by Gian Claudio Guiducci and Franco Sacchi. They describe their documentary subjects with profound bias, as a “pseudo-community” that is “surreal, bizarre and at the same time tragic,” which undoubtedly colored every filming and editorial choice they made.