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|isbn=978-1-4496-7600-1
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W6eRUtlujbkC&pg=PA555
}}</ref> The foreskin has [[Foreskin#Physiological_functions| protective, immunological, sensory, and sexual functions]], which are irreversibly destroyed and cease to function after the [[amputation]] of the foreskin by circumcision, imposing a lifetime loss of functional tissue and loss of function upon the patient. The '''ethics of non-therapeutic child circumcision''' being imposed on unconsenting minors (babies and children) has been a source of ongoing controversy.<ref>{{BoyleGJ SvobodaJS PriceCP TurnerJN 2000}}</ref><ref name="RACPSumm">{{REFweb |url=http://www.racp.edu.au/download.cfm?DownloadFile=A453CFA1-2A57-5487-DF36DF59A1BAF527 |title=Policy Statement On Circumcision |accessdate=2007-02-28 |date=2004-09 |format=PDF |publisher=[[Royal Australasian College of Physicians]] |quote= |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720092409/http://www.racp.edu.au/download.cfm?DownloadFile=A453CFA1-2A57-5487-DF36DF59A1BAF527 |archivedate=2008-07-20}}</ref><ref name="bma2006">Committee on Medical Ethics. [https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/ethics/children-and-young-people/non-therapeutic-male-circumcision-of-children-ethics-toolkit The law and ethics of male circumcision: Guidance for doctors]. London: British Medical Association 2006.</ref>
There is no disease present in the newborn penis and no medical indication exists for [[circumcision of the newborn]].<ref>{{GairdnerDM 1949}}</ref> <ref>{{REFjournal
|accessdate=2025-06-29
}}</ref>
Regardless of these issues, the unethical general practice of the medical community in the United States is to receive surrogate informed consent or permission from parents or legal guardians for non-therapeutic circumcision of children.<ref name="povenmire"/><ref name="conundrum" />
}}</ref> [[Third-party payment]] is a major support to the performance of this injurious medically-unnecessary surgery. If parents could not grant consent for non-therapeutic circumcision, then no one could grant consent for the non-therapeutic circumcision of a child, so the $3.6 billion annual business would collapse. The American [[Medical trade association| medical trade associations]], more than those of other nations, have been unwilling to recognize the child's right to [[physical integrity]], to security of the person, and the right to personal autonomy.
==Is circumcision without valid consent battery?==
Boyle et al. (2004) have argued that non-therapeutic circumcision of boys is "assault",<ref>{{BoyleGJ SvobodaJS PriceCP TurnerJN 2000}}</ref><ref name="RACPSumm">{{REFweb
|url=http://www.racp.edu.au/download.cfm?DownloadFile=A453CFA1-2A57-5487-DF36DF59A1BAF527
|title=Policy Statement On Circumcision
|accessdate=2007-02-28
|date=2004-09
|format=PDF
|publisher=[[Royal Australasian College of Physicians]]
|quote=
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720092409/http://www.racp.edu.au/download.cfm?DownloadFile=A453CFA1-2A57-5487-DF36DF59A1BAF527
|archivedate=2008-07-20
}}</ref> but is it actually battery?
<b>Simple battery</b> is defined as:
<blockquote>