Circumcision kits have been discovered available for purchase on Amazon's UK website, raising urgent questions about regulation and the potential risks to baby boys. The online retail giant has since removed the items following inquiries by the Guardian.
Coroner's Warning Follows Infant Death
This discovery comes amid growing alarm over insufficient oversight of non-therapeutic male circumcision (NTMC) in Britain. The concern was starkly highlighted in December when a UK coroner issued a formal warning. Dr Anton van Dellen, assistant coroner for west London, wrote a prevention of future deaths report following the tragic death of six-month-old Mohamed Abdisamad in 2023 from a streptococcus infection linked to a circumcision procedure.
In his report, Dr van Dellen emphasised that "any individual may conduct a Non-Therapeutic Male Circumcision (NTMC) without any prior training", with "no requirement for any infection control measures" and "no requirements for any aftercare". He concluded that "action should be taken to prevent future deaths". The Department of Health and Social Care must respond to this report by the end of February.
Kits Marketed for "Significant Saving" Removed
In January, The Guardian found "Plastibell" circumcision kits, in various sizes, being advertised on Amazon UK for approximately £200. The product listing promoted the device as enabling "a circumcision procedure which requires no special post-operative care or dressing", claiming this meant "a significant saving in both time and money".
The advertisement further stated the disposable device eliminated the need for sterilising steel clamps and that no special dressings were required. Similar devices were also found for sale on the eBay platform. Amazon, which had previously removed circumcision training kits in 2017, confirmed it had taken action again.
A spokesperson for the company said: "We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies. We have strict policies and guidelines for the sale of medical devices and we prohibit the sale of professional-use-only medical devices. The items in question have been removed." eBay has been approached for comment.
Cross-Community Call for Tighter Safeguards
Non-therapeutic male circumcision is a customary practice in Jewish, Muslim, and some African traditions and remains legal in the UK. In Scotland, the NHS can fund the procedure if doctors deem it in the child's best interests, performed in hospital by trained paediatric surgeons. Elsewhere in the UK, it is typically a private matter, leading to fears that children can be put at risk by unqualified practitioners.
There is mounting pressure for reform. The African and Caribbean Health Network, Progressive Judaism, and the British Muslim Council have all supported the coroner's call for stricter regulation. Reproductive rights campaigner Dr Rebecca Steinfeld argues that since female genital mutilation is banned, boys should receive equivalent safeguarding protections.
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Paul Scriven, a vocal critic of the current regulatory framework, stated: "Parliament needs to think about how it can defend a system where a tattooist requires a licence and a sterilised studio to carry out a tattoo, but a person carrying out genital surgery on a baby boy doesn't."
He called for a government taskforce to create unified national standards and for new legislation to make it an offence for non-registered professionals to perform surgical circumcision. "The fact you can buy these kits readily online shows why the law is an ass," he added.
The debate is intensifying as draft guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reportedly classes circumcision as a potential crime. The CPS confirmed that while the practice is legal and a celebrated tradition for many, it has recently prosecuted cases causing "significant harm" and is conducting "rigorous scrutiny" before finalising any guidance. Official data shows that since 2001, circumcision has been a factor in the deaths of seven boys under the age of 18 in the UK.
