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[[Douglas Gairdner]]'s famous, classic 1949 paper, ''The Fate of the Foreskin: A Study of Circumcision'',<ref name="gairdner1949">{{GairdnerDM 1949}}</ref> seems to have had no effect in Australia. However, criticism of the practice of non-therapeutic circumcision accelerated in 1967.
The Melbourne Paediatric Society held a meeting on 12 November 1952 at which Dr. John Begg read a paper, "''Why Circumcise''" in which the practice of child circumcision was questioned.<ref>{{REFjournal
|last=Medical Societies
|init=
|author-link=
|last2=
|init2=
|author2-link=
|url=https://www.cirp.org/news/1953/1953-04-25_medjaust.php
|title=Why Circumcise?
|journal=Med J Aust
|date=1953-04-25
|volume=1
|issue=17
|pages=603-04
|pubmedID=13062881
|accessdate=2024-11-11
}}</ref>
Morgan (1967) criticised non-therapeutic [[circumcision]] in a letter published in the ''Medical Journal of Australia''.<ref>{{REFjournal
|date=2003-02-13
|accessdate=2021-12-16
}}</ref>
The <i>Australian Medical Association</i> (2007) said it would support laws to ban the non-essential [[circumcision]] of infant boys.<ref>{{REFnews
|title=Doctors back call for circumcision ban
|url=https://www.cirp.org/news/2007/2007-12-09_abc.php
|last=Anonymous
|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation
|website=
|date=2007-12-09
|accessdate=2024-07-27
|format=
|quote=
}}</ref>
}}</ref>
[[Gregory J. Boyle | Boyle]] et al. (2000) suggested that non-therapeutic circumcision of boys is "criminal assault." They concluded:
<blockquote>
Enforced non-therapeutic genital cutting of unconsenting minors is overdue for recognition by the legal community as sexual mutilation. As we enter the 21st Century, appropriate legal action must be taken to safeguard the physical [[genital integrity]] of male children.<ref>{{REFjournal |last=Boyle |first=Gregory J. |init=GJ |author-link=Gregory J. Boyle |last2=Svoboda |first2=J. Steven |init2=JS |author2-link=J. Steven Svoboda |last3=Price |first3=Christopher P. |init3=CP |author3-link=Christopher P. Price |last4=Turner |first4=J. Neville |init4=JN |author4-link=J. Neville Turner |etal=no |title=Circumcision of Healthy Boys: Criminal Assault? |journal=J Law Med |date=BoyleGJ SvobodaJS PriceCP TurnerJN 2000-02 |volume=7 |issue= |pages=301-10 |url=http://www.cirp.org/library/legal/boyle1/ |accessdate=2019-10-31}}</ref>
</blockquote>
}}</ref>
Na et al. (2015) considered whether Australian boys should be [[circumcised]]. They concluded:
<blockquote>In conclusion, although there is a benefit of circumcision in those with urogenital tract anomalies, in a healthy newborn,the disease in the foreskin is non-existent. There is insufficient scientific evidence to support routine newborn circumcision in Australia done for UTI risk and [[HIV]] transmission issues alone. Therefore, any surgical complication and financial cost of routine newborn circumcision for these reasons in Australia currently cannot be justified. From a medical point of view, the‘price’ is still too high.<ref name="na2015">{{REFjournal
== The current situation in Australia ==
The [https://auspaediatrics.org.au/ Australian Pædiatric Association ] resolved in 1971 "that newborn male infants should not, as a routine, be circumcised." This decision was announced in a letter published in the ''Medical Journal of Australia''.<ref name="bellmaine1971" /> The Australian Pædiatric Association published a second explanatory letter in July 1971.<ref>{{REFjournal
|last=Hall
|first=
|pubmedCID=
|accessdate=2023-11-18
}}</ref> As stated above, the incidence of non-therapeutic [[circumcision ]] of boys declined precipitously after the publication of these letters, so most men under forty-two nine are [[intact]]. These [[foreskinned]] men are now becoming fathers. They are aware of the value and functions<ref name="helard2014">{{REFweb
|url=http://www.intactaus.org/information/functionsoftheforeskin/
|title=Functions of the Foreskin
|format=
|quote=
}}</ref> of the [[foreskin]] , so these [[intact]] fathers usually do not want any son to be [[circumcised]]. Moreover, public hospitals in Australia do not permit the performance of non-therapeutic [[circumcision]].<ref name="tanny2015">{{REFjournal |last=Na |first= |init=AF |author-link= |last2=Tanny |first2= |init2=SPT |author2-link= |last3=Hutson |first3= |init3=JM |author3-link= |etal=no |title=Circumcision: Is it worth it for 21st-century Australian boys? |language= |journal= J Paediatr Child Health |location= |date=2015-06 |volume=51 |issue=6 |article= |page= |pages=580-3 |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jpc.12825 |archived= |quote=Most Australian states withdrew circumcision from the range of free services provided in public hospitals through Medicare funding system. |pubmedID=25683279 |pubmedCID= |DOI=10.1111/jpc.12825 |accessdate=2024-09-16}}</ref>
As a consequence, it appears that the efforts of the [[RACP]] to revitalize the [[circumcision industry ]] in Australia<ref name="RACP2022" /> may have scant success.The incidence of non-therapeutic [[circumcision]] of boys recently has been variously reported to be 4-10 percent. [[Foreskinned]] men are in a strong and ever-increasing majority in Australia. ==Parental information==Raisingchildren.net.au provides excellent information on the care of [[intact]], [[foreskinned]] boys.<ref>{{REFweb |url=https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/foreskin |title=Foreskins and foreskin care |last=Anonymous |first= |init= |author-link= |publisher= |date=2021-12-21 |accessdate=2024-09-02}}</ref>
== Video ==
{{LINKS}}
* {{URLwikipedia|Australia|Australia}}
* {{REFnews
|title=Victoria stops circumcision in public hospitals
|url=https://www.cirp.org/news/2007/2007-08-12_herald-sun.php
|last=Hinde
|first=Suellen
|init=
|author-link=
|last2=Healey
|init2=Kelvin
|author2-link=
|publisher=Sunday Herald-Sun
|website=
|date=2007-08-12
|accessdate=2024-07-28
|quote=State Government has ordered the ban, which starts next month, following medical advice that circumcision of baby boys was unnecessary.
}}
* {{REFnews
|title=South Australia Bans Non-therapeutic Male Circumcision
|url=https://www.cirp.org/news/2007/2007-11-12_theadvertiser.php
|last=Pengelley
|first=Jill
|init=
|author-link=
|publisher=Adelaide Advertiser
|website=
|date=2007-11-12
|accessdate=2024-07-28
|quote=In the past financial year, 274 circumcisions were performed on children in the state's public hospitals. SA is the last state to take a stand against circumcision. "Both nationally and overseas, doctors agree there is no medical benefit to routine circumcision with the procedure as low as 2 per cent in the UK," Mr Hill said.
}}
* {{REFweb
|url=https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/childrens-rights