Is circumcision still popular in the US?

[momtoS]

Just curious....because in my city..there are NO doctors that do this. NONE.

So if a parent wants it the closest place is 3.5 hours away.....

[Night_Nurse]

Yes, it's still very popular. I know there are new stats out that say only 33% are circed now (or something like that) but that has not been something I've seen in my nursing experience. Nor has it been the experience of any nurse I've talked to throughout the country. Circ rates are dropping, and are much lower than they used to be, but non-immigrant boys are still circed more often than left intact.
Do you live in the US? If so, what state? I'd love to live in a place where circ wasn't common.

[eepster]

There is a great deal of regional variation.

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally Posted by momtoS

Just curious....because in my city..there are NO doctors that do this. NONE.

So if a parent wants it the closest place is 3.5 hours away.....

It is unfortunately still common; where do you live?

[brant31]

Canada has done a much better job of dismantling the circumcision apparatus than has the US. A big part of it is your single-payer medical system, which assigns an extremely low value to neonatal circumcision and I believe has now removed it as a covered service in every province.

In the US we still have hospitals across the land well-stocked with circumcision equipment because we have such a hodgepodge of insurance plans and government programs, many of which still automatically pay for circumcision-on-demand (no diagnosis, no reason... just tick the box here).

I maintain, optimistically but confidently, that when elective infant circumcision is no longer subsidized the way it has been for the past 60 years here in the US, it will decline precipitously in popularity. Laws and lawsuits arguably help pave the path, but ultimately non-religious, non-therapeutic infant circumcision is an economic issue. Subsidy implies endorsement, and it is both financially and psychologically important when it goes away.

Circumcision is still very popular in the US, to the tune of more than a million MICs done every year. No study has every demonstrated a real net gain from this custom, making it easier to eventually dismiss.

[lalaland42]

Originally Posted by eepster

There is a great deal of regional variation.

This is true. It was less common (40%) when I lived in Seattle (but had a girl) and my friend who moved from mississippi to Texas said it was 95% in ms. Then medicaid stopped paying for it...

[momtoS]

I live in Northern Canada, and well, we don't have enough doctors to cover emergencies so I guess circumcision is pretty low on their list.

[luvmybaby333]

Here in Tennessee it is very common. Breastfeeding is unfortunately uncommon (especially extended or exclusive breastfeeding), and most other "natural" or "gentle" parenting ideals are also uncommon. I think it's fairly region-based, but I do believe that it's that circumcision is still pretty popular. I'd like to think that the 33% stats are correct, but that has not been my experience IRL or online.

[MyBoysBlue]

MomtoS, I too was originally surprised that circumcision was practiced at all outside of certain religious groups. I was shocked and surprised when I had my DS 1 almost 9 years ago in Alberta and I was asked by my doctor after I gave birth if we were circumcising. DH and I didn't know that people still did it here in Canada. Unfortunaly Alberta has the highest rate of Circ. DH and I are from New Brunswick which has a much lower rate. Here is a link on how the rates break down by province.

http://www.courtchallenge.com/refs/yr99p-e.html

I too have heard stories of some people having to travel to a more major city or even out of province and even of some travelling to the US to have their baby boy circed. It nice to know that it is getting more difficult but there is still much room for improvement.

[MyBoysBlue]

Double post

[hakunangovi]

Originally Posted by MyBoysBlue

I was shocked and surprised when I had my DS 1 almost 9 years ago in Alberta and I was asked by my doctor after I gave birth if we were circumcising. DH and I didn't know that people still did it here in Canada. Unfortunaly Alberta has the highest rate of Circ. .

That is interesting. My DS was born 28 years ago in Calgary and we were never asked - but maybe because I pre-empted the question by stating to the doctor early on that my son was NOT to be circumcised.

Unfortunately the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Alberta have not, and refuse to take a strong stand against RIC. I have twice written to them requesting their policy on this, and the reply was a terse "We expect all our members to exercise good judgement".
Compare that to the statement issued in Saskatchewan which clearly warns their members about legal exposure should they choose to continue performing circumcisions (This can be found on the same website given by MyBoysBlue)

[just_lily]

Those statistics are from 2006, so I wonder (hope?) that things have gotten better in Canada. We are in Alberta as well, and I only know of two families that have circ'd their boys. None of the boys that have been through my home daycare have been circ'd either. So in my completely informal, unscientific poll the numbers seem to be much less than 44%.

It wasn't even brought up in my pre-natal class. But I took a private NCB class, so maybe it is discussed in the ones put on by public health? I don't know.

I am quite sure that the fact that you have to pay out of pocket and then seek out a doctor that performs them has helped to lower the numbers. The parents who really want it done are still doing it, but those on the fence don't bother because it isn't convenient.

[mrsdewees]

I think it is a regional thing too.

It's not common in Arizona, either. I've heard (which may just be hearsay) that the Hispanic population is less likely to circumcise? My husband is Mexican and is intact - but that's all the anedoctal evidence I have for that.

It also helps that Arizona Medicaid and the state-discount insurances they offer will NOT pay for circumcision. If you want to circumcise, you have to pay out of pocket. Most people won't put down the cash for it. I wonder what the circumcision rates are in states where it's not covered?

Sad story - but my sister had my nephew in Arizona and was on Medicaid so she did not circumcise him. Later, she moved back to Minnesota - where it is paid for - and she had him circed at 5 months old...

[ancoda]

Like has already been said it is very regional now on how common it is. When I lived in Oregon it was not very common at all, now that we live in Idaho it seems that everyone I know is getting it done without much thought at all about it.

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

I know it is still common in the midwest. My ds is the only boy in the family intact. I worked at a daycare for 3 years and only know of two boys who were intact one of which had a blood clotting disorder which is probably why he remained intact. A friend had a boy 2 months after I had ds and they got him circed and it got infected and he ended up at the childens hospital. My sister didn't like the way one my nephews circumsion looked too much skin I guess so she got it redone it is just so sad that this is so important to so many people.

[~Boudicca~]

I am in New England and it seems to be alive and well among the people I know.

[brant31]

Originally Posted by mrsdewees

I think it is a regional thing too.

I wonder what the circumcision rates are in states where it's not covered?

Sad story - but my sister had my nephew in Arizona and was on Medicaid so she did not circumcise him. Later, she moved back to Minnesota - where it is paid for - and she had him circed at 5 months old...

Well, the good news is that Minnesota has been on the "not covered" list for Medicaid since 2005. It was one of the latest incremental achievements; only 34 more states to go!

New infant circumcision rate data has just been released for 13 states, so there has been an interim update to the statistics map. The map is on the middle of the page, and just hover your mouse over each state to see the circ rate and whether Medicaid in that state pays for circumcision (and when it stopped).

There was no statistically significant change in these states, which represent about 20% of the US population, from 2008 to 2009, casting further doubt on the figures the CDC used that show a rapid decline. HCUP does not confirm any such decline; the average among these states is still 54%. The updated states are:

AZ CO HI IA MD MN MO NV NJ OR SC VT WA

[A&A]

Originally Posted by eepster

There is a great deal of regional variation.

[MarnieMax]

Even here in Northern Cal I am amazed at how common it remains. It's exasperating since I didn't circ my sons back in the early 90s and figured that after another decade or so, the default would be intactness (I'm talking about white middle class).