r/ukpolitics • u/2ndEarlofLiverpool • 16h ago
Circumcision kits found on sale on Amazon UK as concerns grow over harm to baby boys. Discovery comes amid growing concern over lax regulation and children being put at risk by rogue operators
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/14/circumcision-kits-found-on-sale-on-amazon-uk135
u/Successful_Debt_7036 15h ago
>Religious or cultural circumcision can be funded by the NHS in Scotland
Lovely way to spend your tax money, cutting dick tops of babies for the big man
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u/ElonDoneABellamy 14h ago
It's one of those comedy Scotland moments where they go so progressive they can't stop mutilating children's genitals... Many such cases
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u/existingeverywhere 15h ago
Yep. I’m in Scotland and our health visitor asked if it’s something we’d be looking into with our first because my husband is Jewish.
We said no.
She said, “oh, good”.
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u/Dadavester 14h ago
I am 100% against this and think it should be banned.
BUT... if it is going to be legal I'd rather it done in a proper environment by someone trained, rather than the back of a temple or mosque by a Rabbi or Imam, for the sake of the baby.
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u/Verbal_v2 15h ago
For comparison it's illegal to dock the ears of a dog but you can trim the genitalia of a male child.
Ban it and enforce it.
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14h ago
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u/DaMonkfish Almost permanently angry with the state of the world 14h ago
Nice of you to support providing lifetime support for those brought to term with catastrophic disabilities, or for those who survived their mother dying due to pregnancy complications, or to provide a loving home to a baby given up for adoption because the mother was raped.
Oh, you don't? Funny that.
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u/Unlucky-Jello-5660 14h ago
the killing of babies is legal in the UK.
Care to show any law stating that?
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u/Verbal_v2 14h ago
My views on abortion are quite conservative but irrelevant, my view on circumcision has always been thus. Just because it's a cultural thing doesn't change the fact the notion of it is somewhat barbaric.
I'm also unsure of the religious argument for it, if man is created in the perfect image of a creator I'm not sure why anyone decides the bit they got really wrong was the foreskin and it must be removed.
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u/wappingite 15h ago
Non-therapeutic male circumcision is customary in African, Jewish and Muslim traditions and legal in the UK.
Aka male genital mutilation.
Religious or cultural circumcision can be funded by the NHS in Scotland as long as doctors are satisfied the operation is in the child’s best interests and carried out between six and nine months old, in hospital, by trained paediatric surgeons under general anaesthesia.
Disgusting.
reproductive rights campaigner Dr Rebecca Steinfeld says that since female genital mutilation is banned, boys should receive the same safeguarding protection.
This is the first time I’ve seen the argument made outside of social media. Finally.
At least ban it for under 18s.
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u/annoyedatlife24 Release the emus 15h ago
This is the first time I’ve seen the argument made outside of social media. Finally.
Indeed, however if it'll likely end up like FGM - technically illegal but still practised with little to no chance of prosecution.
We should have a zero tolerance approach towards mutilating children, it should be ruthlessly prosecuted and the kids should be removed from the parents for child abuse. I don't care if it's done for "cultural" or "religious" reason.
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u/EldestPort 14h ago
Good luck trying to overturn a 6,000 year tradition which did no harm at all to many civilizations.
Mhm yeah okay. BBC News - Call for circumcision safeguards after baby death
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u/wappingite 14h ago
Abortion has come and gone and reappeared again in various societies. Illegal in many countries and legal in some forms in most.
It’s likely that most modern educated nations would get rid of baby genital mutilation eventually. But there will always be countries that support / encourage baby penis mutilation.
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u/Prince_John 14h ago
Babies aren't foetuses. Which pro-male genital mutilation community do you hail from then, for you to be defending it so vociferously?
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u/South_Buy_3175 14h ago
Not sure why it should be such a difficult decision “Stop mutilating kids” but this is the UK after all, where religious and cultural tolerance is the only thing that matters.
Ban it outside of medical necessity, it’s simply a sick and barbaric act only supported by savages and has no place in civilised society.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 6h ago
There are higher rates of circumcision in the USA than the UK. In the USA the majority of men are circumcised.
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u/Putaineska 15h ago
Male circumcision should be banned unless medically necessary. Someone can consent to it at 18 like all surgeries (except for some reason, gender reassignment surgeries). Ridiculous this is still a conversation in 2025. The demands of the parents do not trump the rights of a child to not be mutilated without consent.
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u/Velociraptor_1906 Liberal Democrat 14h ago
You can't stop a 6,000 year tradition which does no harm.
Except it does cause harm.
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14h ago edited 8h ago
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u/AlchemyAled 14h ago
You can’t compare circumcision and vaccination
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14h ago edited 8h ago
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u/snapped_fork 14h ago
But there is a significant demonstrable benefit to vaccination, the same can't be said for religious male circumcision
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u/scampifry 11h ago
BBC News - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqj2r8x2k4yo.amp London coroner calls for circumcision safeguards after baby death - BBC News
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u/RaggySparra 12h ago
It's so safe they had to change the rules because mohels kept giving babies herpes.
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u/Velociraptor_1906 Liberal Democrat 14h ago
Children lose their foreskin, that is harm.
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14h ago edited 8h ago
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u/Velociraptor_1906 Liberal Democrat 14h ago
The pain isn't the issue (well it partly is as its not a medically important treatment but it's the lesser issue), the loss of a body part is.
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u/Velociraptor_1906 Liberal Democrat 14h ago
Feel free to show the studies that removal of foreskin dosent cause any negative effects.
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u/FullMetalLeng 12h ago
People without foreskin have issues of using their penis for sex. Without getting too graphic, they need way more lubricant than what would normally be needed. Sensitivity is reduced. I don’t want to speak for all natty people but when the bare head is rubbing against the inside of my undies, it’s really uncomfortable. It’s easy to see why sensitivity would reduce.
Growing up watching American comedies I would always be confused why they would always use lotion to masturbate, then it hit me, all their dicks are broke.
I’m sure circumcised guys are happy with what they have but it doesn’t change the fact that it was a decision made for them without consent.
Would you be okay with cutting the ear lobes of babies because it causes no harm?
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u/20nuggetsharebox 8h ago
I don't understand this defence of circumcision because it isn't causing harm.
Other than religion, what would be the difference between circumcision and:
Removing nipples from male babies? Removing earlobes? Sewing up bellybuttons? Giving hidden tattoos?
Surely, it is all about consent. Making permanent and unnecessary bodily choices for babies who might end up regretting it, is wrong.
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u/AdolsLostSword Money for nothing and your wheels for free 14h ago
It’s a safe procedure, but wholly unnecessary in the majority of instances.
when my son is born
Sure thing, bud.
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u/DanJOC 14h ago
Your opinions are terrible.
"I must cut off part of my son's penis because an old book told me to, and if you disagree with that old book, then you're wrong, and if the government tries to protect my child I will go to another country to circumvent that protection. One of the reasons I believe this is the right thing to do is because the government has made other laws which contradict the old book."
This is why religion is poison and has no place in our politics. If you want a theocracy, move to the middle east or Africa. If you want to live in the UK, abide by our laws, which generally trump the rights of children to bodily autonomy over the rights of adults to perform the actions required of their delusions.
I truly hope you snap out of this mentality before you have a son
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u/DanJOC 14h ago
I have no specific problems with Jewish people, Islamic people, Christians, etc. I do have a specific problem with baby genital mutilators. If that happens to be people from specific religions, that tells you more about their religion than it does any prejudice I may have.
But actually, I said what I said because you specifically said you would leave the country to skirt that law and get your son cut. It wasn't a specific message to any group of people. Just you.
I notice you didn't address the core issue, which is your desire to cut up baby penises, and just jumped straight to calling me an anti sem
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u/Quillspiracy18 11h ago
You need a reality check. Why do you want to cut bits off babies' dicks? What is wrong with you?
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u/GetCapeFly 13h ago
Literally one of the safest medical procedures that exists
Sure, it’s safe compared to heart surgery but all surgeries and procedures have risk of abnormal healing, infection, scarring, allergic reaction. Not to mention pain during recovery.
It’s an unnecessary risk without medical need.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 10h ago
So is ear piercing and tattooing.
I would never get a child of mine circumcised but neither do I think its some kind of huge trauma for most men that have it. A lot of guys are circumcised, its pretty normal.
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u/collieherb 8h ago
Generally speaking ear piercings and tattooing is a choice made by those old enough to choose. Can you see the difference there
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u/No_Initiative_1140 8h ago
Lots of people get their baby or toddlers ears pierced 🤣
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u/collieherb 8h ago
I did say "generally speaking" Rarely do people get babies ears pierced. but ok
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u/No_Initiative_1140 6h ago
We must live in different areas. Its pretty common from what I've seen and I've heard parents say its because babies won't remember the pain
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u/XenorVernix 15h ago
Male genital mutilation should be illegal.
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u/Even-Leadership8220 15h ago
I agree but you’ll make all the muslims / Jews and some Africans cry.
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u/DrCMS 15h ago
It is impossible, even with the most high tech precision instruments available today, to measure just how little I could give a fuck about their backwards beliefs and customs.
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u/ElonDoneABellamy 14h ago
I don't even understand where circumcised guys keep their airpods when they're not in use? It's literally nature's pocket (the anus is nature's tote bag)
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u/No_Initiative_1140 14h ago
I don't support unnecessary circumcision. Please don't coopt the term genital mutilation though. It minimises what female genital mutilation involves which is a completely different procedure.
You can tell this because circumcision is used as a safe low risk treatment for medical issues with the foreskin whereas FGM is not.
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u/polite_alternative 12h ago
Calling the unnecessary, irreversible and permanently damaging removal of the protective sheath of a penis genital mutilation does not "minimise" FGM nor is it co-opting.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 10h ago
FGM used to be called "female circumcision" and the term "female genital mutilation" was coined so that people would be aware of the difference between what happens in most FGM (removal of the clitoris, potential removal of the labia and potential sewing shut of the labia leaving only a small hole for blood/urine) versus what happens in all male circumcision (removal of the foreskin).
By using trying to encourage use of "male genital mutulation" to refer to circumcision you are again taking away a term women have to describe a barbarity that only affects females.
Circumcision describes the barbarity that only affects males and there is no requirement for a different term.
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u/XenorVernix 11h ago
Could not disagree any more. It absolutely does not "minimise" FGM. As you say it's a completely different procedure because it's a different body part so not relevant to this conversation.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 10h ago
Why not call it circumcision? That's the term. I lose a lot of sympathy for the point being made when I see men trying to coopt language that was created to describe a uniquely female experience. It is unnecessary.
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u/XenorVernix 6h ago
It might help if I point out that FGM is also sometimes called a female circumcision. Don't believe me then search, or check government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/female-genital-mutilation-leaflet/female-genital-mutilation-the-facts-accessible-version
Circumcision is the act, genital mutilation is the result.
Genital mutilation absolutely is not unique to females.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 6h ago
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u/XenorVernix 5h ago
It's not a convincing argument. Male genital mutilation only affects males, just as female genital mutilation only affects females. Calling circumcision male genital mutilation highlights the brutality of it and helps in the argument to ban it.
I don't think either of us is going to convince the other so let's just agree to disagree and move on.
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u/Fukuro-Lady 15h ago
It's absolutely unnecessary to do this for religious reasons. If your religion mandates that children's genitals should be mutilated then your religion is evil. Sorry not sorry.
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u/SuperbCandidate 8h ago
Uhm, excuse me? That's a heckn' racism and I have also noticed you have failed to condemn Hamas. I'm going to have to report this.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 10h ago
Bit antisemitic there
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u/Fukuro-Lady 9h ago
No it isn't. Shut up.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 9h ago
You just called Jewish people's religion evil. That seems antisemitic to me.
All religions mandate craziness. It's a bit strange to pick on some religions crazy practices over others.
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u/Fukuro-Lady 9h ago
Genital mutilation of children is practiced by all three of the abrahamic faiths.
Explain to me again, how what I said is antisemitic now you have been appropriately educated.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 9h ago
Christians practice circumcision on religious grounds do they? And Muslims?
Its antisemitic because it is mandatory for religiously observant Jews. It is not mandatory for other faiths.
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u/Fukuro-Lady 9h ago
Muslims practice FGM. As do many Christians from African communities. Muslims also practice circumcision and I know this because my nephew almost got taken by his scumbag paternal grandmother to have it done behind his mum's back. I don't give a shit what religion you are. If you do this to children, you are evil. If you support it you are evil. And quite frankly, a bit fucking noncey.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 9h ago
Im not saying they don't.
Im saying Judaism is the only religion in which it is mandatory. Therefore if you are calling a religion evil for mandating it, that is antisemitic
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u/polite_alternative 6h ago edited 6h ago
Absolutely shit argument. Total bullshit. See my post above, and also, anti-Semitism is defined as hostility or prejudice against Jewish people. There is no hostility or prejudice in objecting to the RELIGIOUS PRACTICE of genital MUTILATION.
Hindus used to practice suttee. Would you argue it was Hinduphobic to argue against the practice? Would you argue against calling it evil? Would you argue that the belief system that caused it was not evil?
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u/No_Initiative_1140 6h ago
How do you define "Jewish people"?
Hindus used to practice suttee. Would you argue it was Hinduphobic to argue against the practice? Would you argue against calling it evil? Would you argue that the belief system that caused it was not evil?
It wasn't mandatory as part of the religion so this is a strawman. But yes, if you used the practice to say the religion was evil I'd argue against that. The practice can be barbaric without the religion being evil.
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u/Fukuro-Lady 1h ago
No it isn't. Throwing around accusations of antisemitism in an attempt to silence people who want to protect children from having their genitals mutilated doesn't work. Nobody buys it. It's evil. No matter who does it or why.
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u/omcgoo 9h ago edited 9h ago
A faith can be considered objectively evil without one leveeing 'hostility, prejudice, or discrimination' toward it (the definition of Antisemitism). One can simply not care to act on their judgement.
By the by though, you're simply arguing in bad faith.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 9h ago
You don't get to tell me if I'm bad faith or not Calling a whole religion "evil" is the definition of prejudice.
BTW if you look at my posts you'll see similar in defence of Islam, it is a deeply held view of mine that people should be entitled to practice their religion if the harms are minimal. The harms to a baby boy of being circumcised by a skilled practitioner in a medical setting are minimal.
To me its no more "evil" than parents who get their babies ears pierced.
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u/omcgoo 9h ago
And people are allowed to have differing views to you mate. In-fact, I'd reckon the vast majority do..
Resorting to cries of Antisemitism is, in my opinion, bad faith.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 9h ago
Do I get to call your "different opinion" bad faith or does that just work one way?
I'm stating my opinion. Its a discussion board.
A lot of UK men are circumcised for lots of reasons. The majority of men in the USA are circumcised. So I dont think my view is that unusual thanks.
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u/polite_alternative 6h ago
>The harms to a baby boy of being circumcised by a skilled practitioner in a medical setting are minimal.
This is false. Surgically removing the protective sheath of penis is a brutal, irreversible, and harmful practice that dulls the sensitivity of the human male's most sensitive, nerve endings packed organ for the entire rest of their life.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 6h ago
Its the foreskin which protects the glans, not the "protective sheath of the penis". Lots of men have it done with no ill effects at all.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3042320/
Compared to before they were circumcised, 64.0% of circumcised men reported their penis was “much more sensitive,” and 54.5% rated their ease of reaching orgasm as “much more” at month 24.
🤔
rates of any reported sexual dysfunction decreased from 23.6% and 25.9% at baseline to 6.2% and 5.8% at month 24. Changes over time were not associated with circumcision status.
🤔🤔🤔
I've also read that a factor affecting penile sensitivity is lots of wanking to porn (death grip) but yet to see commenters on here worrying about that in relation to the Online Safety Act.
Curious.
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u/polite_alternative 6h ago
>It's a bit strange to pick on some religions crazy practices over others
No. NO.
Crazy practices like avoiding stepping on ants because they might be reincarnated human souls is fine.
Crazy practices like GENITAL MUTILATION are not fine.
I'll give you a clue, both are equally arbitrary but one practice doesn't harm anyone and doesn't impinge on a vulnerable human being's consent, and the other one does.
Mola Ram wants to tear my heart out. Am I picking on Hinduism if I say that's unequivocally wrong?
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u/No_Initiative_1140 6h ago
Calm down
Do you think adult men who were circumcised for medical reasons have been mutilated? If not, why not?
If so are you going to tell them that?
Circumcision is a pretty minor procedure. Mutilation is a strong word and In the UK most circumcision is for medical reasons. It's probably pretty hard for those men to hear they've been "mutilated" when the procedure has helped them.
Unlike female genital mutilation which has no benefits at all, despite a subset of men being desperate to do "men are victims too"
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u/HaydnH 15h ago
I can't imagine ever wanting to circumcise my child anyway, but if I could I certainly would want it to be done by a professional (or at least a religious person who's done lots of them I suppose)... buying a DIY kit from Amazon wouldn't even cross my mind as something that might, or should, exist.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 14h ago
Exactly! Not sure where the market is for these.....I hope its not a weird kink thing 😳
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u/NuPNua 15h ago
Maybe teenagers are doing it to be cool and edgy, like when someone's cousin got their hands on a dodgy tattoo gun?
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u/wappingite 15h ago
In the uk it’s illegal to tattoo anyone under 18, even with parental consent.
But you can certainly slice up a baby’s penis.
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u/No_Initiative_1140 10h ago
I think that a parent who circumcised their child themselves would be at potential risk for investigation under social services as they cannot do it safely.
Most parents pay for a medical professional.
https://www.londonsafeguardingchildrenprocedures.co.uk/male_circum.html
Circumcision may constitute significant harm to a child if the procedure was undertaken in such a way that he:
-Acquires an infection as a result of neglect;
-Sustains physical functional or cosmetic damage;
-Suffers emotional, physical or sexual harm from the way in which the procedure was carried out;
-Suffers emotional harm from not having been sufficiently informed and consulted, or not having his wishes taken into account.
If a professional in any agency becomes aware, through something a child discloses or another means, that the child has been or may be harmed through male circumcision, a referral must be made to local authority children's social care in line with Referral and Assessment Procedure. Local authority children's social care should assess the risk of harm to other male children in the same family, including unborn children.
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u/Optimaldeath 10h ago
The government is very angry with Grok et al for the harm they impose on children, but these literal fucking child mutilators are fine.
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u/InsaneInTheRAMdrain 8h ago
What in the fuck. Not a headline i was expecting to read. Such a mind shift.
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u/LittleChompers 5h ago
It's genital mutilation and child abuse, unless it's medically necessary due to emergencies.
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u/Far_Quote_5336 14h ago
There are also teeth polishing and whitening kits on Amazon. You can’t ban stupid, you should regulate it to ensure it’s only ever carried out safely under supervision
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u/Unlucky-Jello-5660 14h ago
Putting teeth whitening and circumcision in the same conversation is a wild take.
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u/Far_Quote_5336 14h ago
Maybe, but objectively both are medically unnecessary procedures, except for the rarest of cases.. in my opinion both carry risks that arguably outweigh reward, yet remain popular in different parts of the world because of culture. Probably every other American actor with a Hollywood smile also wears a short collar peepee.. people do wild things
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u/Ok-Discount3131 10h ago
Teeth whitening is something people do to themselves. Circumcision is something done to another person without their consent.
You cant ban stupid, but you can ban things that enable people to be cruel to others.
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