When an infant boy's natural and intact penis is "circumcised"

this is what is lost forever:

1. Its connective synechia, which fuses the foreskin to the glans, the head, while the penis develops.

2. The single most important erogenous area on the male body - the densely innervated frenar band, the most reactive part of the penis. Its loss reduces penis sensitivity to that of ordinary skin.

3. Approximately half of the temperature sensitive smooth muscle sheath called the dartos fascia.

4. Specialized epithelial Langerhans cells, a component of the immune system.

5. Between 10,000 and 20,000 specialized erotogenic nerve endings of several types, which can discern slight motion, subtle changes in temperature, and fine gradations on texture, including thousands of coiled fine-touch receptors called the Meissner's corpuscles.

6. Estrogen receptors, the purpose of which are not yet fully understood.

7. Ectopic sebaceous glands, which lubricate and moisturize.

8. The protective covering of the glans, normally an internal organ, that the foreskin shields from abrasion, drying, and callusing, and protects from dirt and other contaminants.

9. The entire immunoligical defense system of the soft mucosa, which may produce antibacterial and antiviral proteins such as lysozyme, also found in mother's milk, and plasma cells, which secrete immunological antibodies.

10. Lymphatic vessels, the loss of which interrupts the lymph flow within another part of the body's immune system.

11. The frenulum, the sensitive "V" shaped tethering web-like structure on the underside of the glans in frequently amputated along with the foreskin or severed, which destroys its functionality.

12. The inner foreskin's apocrine glands, which produce pheromones - nature's powerful, silent, invisible signals to potential sexual partners.

13. More than 50% of total penile skin, radically immobilizing and callusing the skin that is left and necessitating artificial chemical lubricants for masturbation and intercourse.

14. The 'Gliding' mechanism, in unfolded and spread flat, the average adult foreskin would measure 15-20 square inches, the size of a postcard. This abundance of specialized, self-lubricating, mobile skin gives the natural penis its unique hallmark ability to smoothly 'glide' back and forth within itself - permitting naturally non-abrasive intercourse, without drying out the vagina.

15. The pink to red to dark purple natural coloration of the glans.

16. Between 5% and 20% of its circumference because of its double layered wrapping of loose foreskin is now missing - making the circumcised penis thinner than a full-sized penis.

17. As much as one inch of the penis's length when erect, due to scarring and shrinkage from loss of the mobile, highly vascularized foreskin.

18. Several feet of blood vessels, including the frenular artery and the branches of the dorsal artery, the loss of which interrupts normal blood flow to the shaft and glans of the penis, damaging its normal function and possible stunting its growth.

19. An estimates 240 feet of microscopic nerves, including branches of the dorsal nerve

20. Many boys lose their lives as a result of circumcision