A major doctors association in Denmark has recommended ending circumcisions for boys, saying the procedure should be “an informed personal choice” that young men make for themselves when they reach adulthood.

But the Danish Medical Association stopped short of calling for a legal ban, saying it would be difficult to predict the consequences.

“This area is ethically, culturally and religiously complex, and we worry whether a legal ban might result in unauthorized circumcisions,” said Lisa Moller, the president of the association’s ethics committee, which released the new policy statement last week. “Therefore, we have decided not to take a position on whether male circumcision should be banned by law.”

The largely symbolic recommendation, which Ms. Moller said was “intended as a statement of medical ethics,” says that because circumcision alters a child’s body permanently and involves “pain and discomfort,” it is ethically unacceptable to perform one unless the person can provide informed consent.