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}}</ref>
The incidence of non-therapeutic [[circumcision]] of boys in the United Kingdom has been substantially reduced from its former peaks in the 1930s and early 1940s. Non-therapeutic circumcision of boys remains lawful provided that both parents grant consent. The practice seems to be concentrated among ethnic minorities. Ethical and [[human rights]] concerns about the surgery persist.
Non-therapeutic [[circumcision]] usually is not covered by the NHS, so parents must find a private medical or non-medical operator such as a [[mohel]] to perform the [[foreskin]] [[amputation]] and must pay the fee out of pocket as [[third-party payment]] is not available. Given the recent legal cautions uttered by the BMA,<ref name="bma2019" /> it may not be easy to find a medical practitioner willing to accept the risk.
The NHS announced in November 2022 that it would no longer perform the 23,000 circumcisions that it had been performing every year.<ref name="warren2022">{{REFweb
|url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11410577/Circumcisions-tummy-tucks-liposuction-operations-stop-funded-NHS.html
|title=Circumcisions, tummy tucks and liposuction are among 13 operations which will stop being funded by the NHS in a 'crackdown' on wasteful spending in a bid to save £2bn a year
|last=Warren
|first=Jessica
|publisher=Daily Mail
|date=2022-11-09
|accessdate=2023-04-07
Add and create category.
|accessdate=2021-08-04
}}</ref>
The introduction of [[circumcision]] as a medical practice was opposed by Dr. [[Herbert Snow]] who published a book entitled ''[https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/57083/pg57083-images.html The Barbarity of Circumcision]'' in 1890.
==Early Twentieth century==
}}</ref> One perhaps unexpected effect of the Children Act 1989 was to bring circumcision cases into family court when parents disagreed about circumcision of a son.
The [https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/ Law Commission of England and Wales] had proposed to recommend that circumcision of male children be made lawful. The late [[Christopher P. Price]], solicitor, (1996 ) submitted a brief to the Law Commission in opposition to the proposal,<ref>{{REFdocument
|title=Male Circumcision: A Legal Affront
|url=http://www.cirp.org/library/legal/price-uklc/
|date=2024-09-18
|accessdate=2024-09-19
}}</ref>
The [https://www.cps.gov.uk/ Crown Prosecution Service] charged Dr [[Mohammad Siddiqui]] with twenty-five [[circumcision]]-related crimes, to which he has pleaded guilty. He will be sentenced on 14 January 2025 in [https://www.find-court-tribunal.service.gov.uk/courts/southwark-crown-court Southwark Crown Court].<ref name="cps2024">{{REFweb
|title=A former surgeon found guilty of causing harm during multiple male circumcision operations
|url=https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/former-surgeon-found-guilty-causing-harm-during-multiple-male-circumcision-operations
|last=Anonymous
|first=
|init=
|archived=
|trans-title=
|language=
|publisher=Crown Prosecution Service
|website=
|date=2024-10-31
|accessdate=2024-11-01
|format=
|quote=He showed a complete disregard for the impact of his actions on his victims, families, and communities. We hope that this conviction offers some comfort in seeing Siddiqui being brought to justice.
}}</ref> Sidiqui was sentenced to a serve five years and seven months in prison for causing children "gratuitous pain and suffering".<ref>{{REFnews
|title=SICK SURGERY: Ex-doctor made boy’s penis ‘explode’ after performing back street circumcisions using rusty tools & ‘restraint’ board
|url=https://www.thesun.ie/news/14536792/doctor-boy-penis-circumcision/
|last=Christodoulou
|first=Holly
|init=
|author-link=
|publisher=The Irish Sun
|website=
|date=2025-01-15
|accessdate=2025-01-15
|quote=During one particularly gruesome op on a dining room table in Bristol, a boy's penis "exploded" — causing him to almost die.
}}</ref>
In addition, they noted an egregiously inadequate description of the male [[foreskin]] and its functions.<ref name="lempert2022"/>
The 2019 BMA Guidance for members on non-therapeutic circumcision of minors was withdrawn in Feburary 2025. A new guidance for treatment of children and young people under 16 has been published. Updated information regarding non-therapeutic circumcision of young people is now contained in Chapter 15.<ref>{{REFdocument
|title=Ethics toolkit: Children and young people under 16
|url=https://www.bma.org.uk/media/swsfdkbw/children-and-young-people-under-16-toolkit.pdf
|contribution=
|last=Anonymous
|first=
|publisher=British Medical Association
|format=PDF
|date=2025-02
|accessdate=2025-02-27
}}</ref>
==Symposia==
* The [[Fourteenth International Symposium]] on Genital Autonomy and Children's Rights convened at the {{UNI|University of Keele|KU}}, Keele, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom on September 14-16, 2016.
==A source of information and aidBritish intactivist organisations==
* [[15 Square]] is a registered charity that provides information and aid to parents and both [[intact]] and [[circumcised]] males. The name refers to the approximate area of the adult male [[foreskin]] in square inches. 15 Square is based in Stone, Staffordshire. * [[National Secular Society]] advocates separation of church and state. It has taken the position that religion does not provide authority to violate a child's [[human rights]] by not medically indicated [[circumcision]].<ref name="nss2025-01-28">{{REFweb |url=https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2025/01/judge-and-parents-call-for-boys-to-be-protected-from-circumcision |title=Judge and parents call for boys to be protected from circumcision |last= |first= |init= |author-link= |publisher=National Secular Society |date=2025-01-17 |accessdate=2025-01-28}}</ref>
==Circumcision deaths==
Gairdner (1949) reported 16 deaths per year.<ref name="gairdner1949" /> [[Death ]] from circumcision still occurs.
* Amitai Moshe, seven-days-old, stopped breathing and died after having been [[circumcised]] by a ''[[mohel]]'' (2007), who was a member of the [http://www.initiationsociety.net/ Initiation Society], at [https://www.goldersgreenshul.org.uk/ Golders Green Synagogue] in North London. It was thought that the infant had cardiac arrest, perhaps brought on by the [[Pain| painful circumcision]].<ref name="beckford2007">{{REFnews
* Boma Oruitemeka: Death by circumcision, severe hemorrhage. 1990, London, England, United Kingdom.
==Foreskin information from the National Health Service==
The National Health Service at Alder Hey has created a website with information about the [[foreskin]] for patients, parents and healthcare professionals.<ref>{{REFweb
|url=https://4skin-health.alderhey.nhs.uk/
|title=Information for patients, parents and healthcare professionals
|last=Kenny
|first=
|init=S
|author-link=Simon Kenny
|publisher=NHS Alder Hey
|date=
|accessdate=2025-02-21
}}</ref>
==Conclusion==
The incidence of non-therapeutic [[circumcision]] of boys in the United Kingdom has been substantially reduced from its former peaks in the 1930s and early 1940s. Non-therapeutic circumcision of boys remains lawful provided that both parents grant consent. The practice seems to be concentrated among ethnic minorities. Ethical and [[human rights]] concerns about the surgery persist.
Non-therapeutic [[circumcision]] usually is not covered by the NHS, so parents must find a private medical or non-medical operator such as a [[mohel]] to perform the [[foreskin]] [[amputation]] and must pay the fee out of pocket as [[third-party payment]] is not available. Given the recent legal cautions uttered by the BMA,<ref name="bma2019" /> it may not be easy to find a medical practitioner willing to accept the risk.
The NHS announced in November 2022 that it would no longer perform the 23,000 circumcisions that it had been performing every year.<ref name="warren2022">{{REFweb
|url=https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11410577/Circumcisions-tummy-tucks-liposuction-operations-stop-funded-NHS.html
|title=Circumcisions, tummy tucks and liposuction are among 13 operations which will stop being funded by the NHS in a 'crackdown' on wasteful spending in a bid to save £2bn a year
|last=Warren
|first=Jessica
|publisher=Daily Mail
|date=2022-11-09
|accessdate=2023-04-07
}}</ref>
The BMA (2019) reported that the NHS therapeutically circumcises about 10,000 boys under 18-years-of-age per year.<ref name="bma2019">{{REFdocument
|title=Non-therapeutic male circumcision (NTMC) of children – practical guidance for doctors
|date=2019
|accessdate=2021-09-10
}}</ref> Professor [[Simon Kenny]], (2021) the leading doctor at [https://www.alderhey.nhs.uk/ Alder Hey Children's Hospital], has published a new guidance regarding child circumcision.<ref name="kenny2021">{{REFweb
|url=https://4skin-health.alderhey.nhs.uk/
|title=Information for patients, parents and healthcare professionals
|last=Kenny
|first=
|init=S
|author-link=Simon Kenny
|publisher=NHS Alder Hey
|date=
|accessdate=2025-02-21
}}</ref> The Daily Mail (2022) alleged that 1/2 of the 10,000 NHS [[circumcision|circumcisions]] of boys are unnecessary.<ref>{{REFnews
|title=Is the NHS carrying out thousands of unnecessary circumcisions on teenage boys? New report shows irreversible surgery is carried out 10,000 times per year
|format=
|quote=The analysis also found up to half of the boys who underwent medical circumcision at some trusts were under five, an age at which doctors agree the procedure is almost always unnecessary.
}}</ref>
* [[15 Square]]
* [[Genital Autonomy]]
* [[Initiation Society]]
* [[Men Do Complain]]
* [[Secular Medical Forum]]
{{LINKS}}
* {{URLwikipedia|United_Kingdom|United Kingdom}}
* {{REFweb |url=https://intactamerica.org/cultures-that-reject-circumcision/ |title=Cultures That Reject Circumcision—And Why They’re Right |last=Alissa |first=Kristel |init= |author-link=Kristel Alissa |publisher=Intact America |date=2025-02-23 |accessdate=2025-05-08}}
{{REF}}
[[Category:Male circumcision]]
[[Category:Country]]
[[Category:English-speaking nation]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Statistics]]