The National Secular Society has called for boys to be protected from non-therapeutic male circumcision (NTMC) in response to a Department of Health consultation.

The NSS campaigns to protect all children from ritual genital cutting.

The consultation will inform England’s first ever men’s health strategy, which aims to improve outcomes for conditions that specifically affect men and boys.

The NSS said circumcision is a surgery that should only be performed by doctors and, when it comes to children, only with medically necessity. It recommended decisions about NTMC be deferred until the individual is old enough to decide for himself.

It also called on the Government to improve data collection on the prevalence and complication rate of NTMC.

Current legal arrangement endangering the lives of children

There is no legal requirement for circumcisers to be medically trained or to “have proven expertise”.

The NSS cited the recent convictions of Mohammad Siddiqui and Mohammed Alazawi as evidence this legal arrangement is endangering the lives of children.

Siddiqui, who was jailed in January for actual bodily harm and child cruelty related to NTMC, was a former medical doctor who had been struck off for dangerous and cruel circumcisions.

Alazawi – jailed last week for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm – had no medical training, a history of criminal violence, and could not read or write English.

Despite this, both men could legally perform non-therapeutic circumcisions.

One boy left with a “mutilated penis”, another “almost lost their life”

The NSS noted the severe harm that can result from NTMC. Three children – Goodluck Caubergs, Angelo Ofori-Mintah, and Celian Noumbiwe – have bled to death in recent years in the UK.

An NSS FOI request to the General Medical Council revealed circumcision related complaints against doctors in 2024 in which one boy “almost lost their life” and another was left with a “mutilated penis”.

It also noted professional and public opposition to NTMC. A 2024 survey of consultant paediatricians in the North Thames Paediatric Network found 68% were against the practice. 2018 YouGov polling showed 62% of the public oppose NTMC.

Religious groups openly perform unanaesthetised circumcisions

The NSS cited the pain of NTMC and its potential impact on sexual function.

Many religious groups openly perform circumcisions on children without anaesthesia. A circumcision FAQ from the Jewish Medical Association, a registered charity, states: “No formal anaesthesia is given routinely”.

In correspondence with the NSS, the Royal College of Anaesthetists said the idea that neonates do not experience pain is “erroneous” and confirmed “circumcision is a painful procedure”. In Scotland, the NHS will only provide NTMC under general anaesthetic.

The NHS website lists “permanent reduction in sensation in the head of the penis, particularly during sex” as a complication of circumcision.

Violation of bodily autonomy

The NSS also pointed to the psychological harms of NTMC. Many men report deep regret that an erogenous and functional intimate part of their body was removed before they could make a choice based on their own beliefs.

2025 British Medical Association guidance acknowledges “the harm of a person not having the opportunity to choose not to be circumcised” or “choose not to follow the traditions of his parents”.

It notes the damage that NTMC can cause “to the individual’s relationship with his parents and the medical profession”.

The NSS cited correspondence it had received from men who felt suicidal as a result of NTMC.

NSS: ‘Profound physical, psychological and sexual harm’

National Secular Society human rights lead Dr Alejandro Sanchez said: “We recognise the significance of non-therapeutic circumcision to a number of communities.

“But we must be clear sighted about what it is: a medically unnecessary, religiously or culturally motivated surgery to remove healthy erogenous tissue from the body of a child.

“We’ve set out in our response the profound physical, psychological and sexual harm non-therapeutic circumcision can cause.

“It is now time for Government and the medical establishment to act. Boys must be protected from non-therapeutic circumcision until they are old enough to decide for themselves whether they wish to undergo the procedure.”

“We hope the men’s health strategy can represent a first step in achieving this.”

Support

Anyone affected by the issues raised in this article can contact Samaritans in an emergency, or the circumcision support charity, 15 Square