Q: Circumcision rates?
Posted
Sunday, February 17, 2008 8:34 PM
Q: How common is circumcision, both in the United States and in the world?
A: Circumcision has been around for centuries, and today is most common in the U.S., Canada and the Middle East. It's also a religious ritual widely practiced by Muslims and Jews. Though worldwide only 20 percent of men have been circumcised, about 80 percent of American man are currently sans foreskin. But remember, this is the rate among grown men, and reflect trends of past decades when circumcision was de rigeur. The circumcision rate among newborn American males is steadily falling, and today is at about 50 percent. That's still much higher, though, than many other countries -- for example, the United Kingdom, where today only six percent of all newborn boys are circumcised.
The current circumcision rate in the U.S. varies dramatically by region. In the Midwest, almost 80 percent of newborns are circumcised, while the West Coast rate is only 30 percent. Between these extremes are the Northeast (65 percent) and the South (55 percent).
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