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The Riksdag enacted a circumcision law in 2001.
Non-therapeutic circumcision of boys under 18 years of age is regulated since 2001 by the ''"Lag (2001:499) om omskärelse av pojkar"'' (Law regarding circumcision of boys). According to it, such circumcisions are a surgical procedure and have to be carried out by a qualified doctor and under anaesthesia. For boys under 2 months of age, circumcision may also be carried out by another competent person with a government license. This applies to persons that have been nominated by religious groups in which circumcision is part of the religious tradition. Persons who perform a circumcision without the necessary qualification or license face a fine or prison sentence of up to six months. The circumcision requires the consent of the legal guardians. It may not be carried out against the child's will, if he has the age and level of maturity for such a statement.<ref name= "hofvander2002">{{REFjournal |last=Hofvander |first=Yngve |init= |author-link= |etal=no |title=New law on male circumcision in Sweden |trans-title= |language= |journal=Lancet |location= |date=2002-02-16 |volume=359 |issue=9306 |article= |page=630 |pages= |url=https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)07737-1/fulltext |archived= |quote= |pubmedID=11867150 |pubmedCID= |DOI=10.1016/S0140-6736(02)07737-1 |accessdate=2021-03-12}}</ref>
The 2001 circumcision law makes non-therapeutic child [[circumcision]] somewhat safer because a licensed medical doctor must be in attendance. It requires the use of anesthesia so the extreme [[pain| pain and trauma]] of child circumcision is reduced. However it stops short of protecting the [[human rights]] of the child. The child will still suffer harm due to the amputation of the multi-functional [[foreskin]]