Circumcision rates have gone way down. Researchers found that the procedure is somewhat less common today than it was 10 years ago. The report was written in light of research that proves circumcision greatly reduces the risk of contracting HIV and numerous other STDs during penile-vaginal sex.
The study explains:
“The publication of three recent studies showing that circumcision of adult, heterosexual men reduces their risk for acquiring human immunodeficiency virus infection and other sexually transmitted infections has stimulated interest in the practice of routine newborn male circumcision.”
Aside from HIV, several other sexually transmitted diseases have long been associated with a lack of circumcision. These include genital ulcer disease and chlamydia. Infant urinary tract infections and penile cancer have also been linked with STDs.
Maria Wawer, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health adds:
“What we’ve found is that male circumcision is protective against a wider range of infections than we previously thought, including reducing the risk of acquiring herpes, though it’s not 100 percent protective. The mucosal layers under the foreskin are a prime target for the entry of viruses, particularly H.I.V.”
The new report reveals that in all three measurements used by the CDC, the number of circumcisions performed dropped five percent. One study, the National Hospital Discharge Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, showed that of the nearly 20 million babies surveyed, fewer than 12 million were circumcised between 1999 and 2008. That’s a decrease from 62.5% to 56.9% over that decade.
Women who have sex with uncircumcised men appear to be at higher risk of cervical cancer. And a lack of circumcision has been linked to the spread of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV can cause cervical cancer.
So with all the proven benefits, why are circumcisions down? For one, health coverage likely plays a significant role in circumcision rates. Hospitals in the 33 states where routine circumcision is covered by Medicaid had rates that were 24% higher than in hospitals that lacked such coverage.
Insurance companies may also be a factor. The most common “complications” are minor bleeding and local infection. However, this may have contributed to the current drop in circumcision rates because it can determine if insurance companies reimburse for the procedure. It also may have altered the parental decision to circumcise their sons or not for pain threshold reasons.
Even so, more and more parents are starting to think seriously about whether to circumcise their newborn boys. And many of them are finding that it’s a question without easy answers, not least because guidance from many leading medical organizations has been equivocal. Although rates have declined in recent years, well over half of all boys born in American hospitals undergo the procedure.
The researchers point out that The CDC says on its web site that it is still developing its own recommendations concerning circumcision.
The report continues:
“Individual men may wish to consider circumcision as an additional HIV prevention measure … in conjunction with other proven prevention measures (abstinence, mutual monogamy, reduced number of sex partners, and correct and consistent condom use).”
Written by Sy Kraft