U.S. Circumcision Rates Declining: Study

Statistics show that circumcision rates have fallen by as much as 83 percent in the United States since the 1860s to just 77 percent today's population. Yet Brian Morris, a professor at the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney, reports that the benefits of the procedure far outweigh the risks.

"Infant circumcision should be regarded as equivalent to childhood vaccination," said Brian Morris, coauthor of the new report and professor emeritus in the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney, via CBS News. "As such, it would be unethical not to routinely offer parents circumcision for their baby boy. Delay puts the child's health at risk and will usually mean it will never happen."

In fact, he notes that over the lifetime for many uncircumcised men, roughly 50 percent of them will get an adverse medical condition related to their foreskin, otherwise known as the portion that is clipped during the circumcision process. He added that throughout infancy, the best form of protection against urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can potentially lead to long-term kidney damage, is being circumcised.

"The new findings now show that infant circumcision should be regarded as equivalent to childhood vaccination and that as such it would be unethical not to routinely offer parents circumcision for their baby boy," Morris said, via The Dailymail. "Delay puts the child's health at risk and will usually mean it will never happen."

"Taken together, the new findings should send a strong message to medical practitioners, professional bodies, educators, policy makers, governments, and insurers to promote this safe, simple procedure, best done in infancy under local anesthesia and to increase access and third party coverage, especially for poor families, who tend to suffer most from foreskin-related diseases."

The study authors speculate that a heavy decline in the procedure could be the result of several issues, including a rise in the U.S. Hispanic population and their unfamiliarity with the benefits from the procedure. Researchers also believe that a health insurance gap--including Medicaid--may have resulted in many families opting to skip the procedure and save money.

However, in rare cases, the procedure has resulted in deformities and even death.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.