American circumcision trends

[spikebrace]

I'm still relatively new to the forum and came across the topic "Aussie circumcision trends" and it got me wondering about how common circumcision still is in America.

I think we all know that almost all American men over a certain age are circumcised but I believe that in recent decades circumcision in America became less commonplace, as was the case in the UK from the 1960s onwards.

Any thoughts?

 

[FRE]

I'm still relatively new to the forum and came across the topic "Aussie circumcision trends" and it got me wondering about how common circumcision still is in America.

I think we all know that almost all American men over a certain age are circumcised but I believe that in recent decades circumcision in America became less commonplace, as was the case in the UK from the 1960s onwards.

Any thoughts?

At least a few medical insurance companies will no longer pay for routine circumcision; that has reduced the number of circumcisions performed. Also, there are now people who object to routine circumcision on principal; that is further reducing the number of circumcisions.

I'm not sure exactly when circumcision became common in the U.S., but I think that it was in the very late 1800s or early 1900s. When I was in high school, in physical education classes, I noticed that practically all the kids were circumcised. What percentage of infant boys are still routinely circumcised I don't know. It is a matter of considerable controversy.

 

[D_Alec_Baldtwins]

I think there's probably a strong regional component here in the U.S. I don't have actual statistics, but anecdotally, here in California where I live, there is a very large population of uncircumcised men simply because of the prevalence of cultures that do not routinely circumcise males, hispanics being chief among them. I would guess that in parts of the country that are still predominantly white, the vast majority of men are still being circumcised.

I remember talking to a couple who were having a baby, some friends of mine who moved here from the midwest, and there was no way, no how, that they were going to leave their boy uncut. He was "going to be like dad". No discussion. End of story.

I left my son uncut simply because I wanted him to be able to make the circumcision choice for himself. I was circumcised just a few years ago, as an adult. It wasn't that painful or expensive. If he came to me tomorrow and said he wants to be circumcised, I'd pay to have it done for him. It's a whole lot cheaper than braces, lol.

 

[D_Miranda_Wrights]

Here's a start: Incidence of Medically-Unnecessary Non-therapeutic Male Neonatal Circumcision in Selected States

The CDC says the rate dropped from like 56% to like 37% recently, although I don't know the details.

Some of it has to do with the Hispanic population, although much of it doesn't (Washington and Oregon are still very white states.)

 

[ThaiDude]

YEAH ... one more circumcision thread .... I guess now we have 1,033 circumcision threads! GREAT.

 

[mandoman]

Nevada has a small Hispanic population, and its rate of circumcision is 20%.
I really believe that the Hispanic factor is mostly wishing on the part of the CDC.
The other alternative is that people are not listening to their advice, because they no longer trust the CDC. The CDC has come out with 4 different figures for the US circumcision rate in the last year and a half. A CDC researcher let fly that the rate was down to 32.5%, at an AIDS conference in Vienna.
Steep Drop Seen in Circumcisions in U.S. - NYTimes.com
It hit the fan after that. In August, the CDC announced that the circumcision rate had fallen in the US to either 56.9%, 56.3%, or 54.7%.
Circumcision rates falling, CDC says - The Checkup - The Washington Post. There was no explanation of why the researcher had said 32.5% for 2009, and they are now saying between 54.7% to 56.9% for 2008. Does that mean that they are just releasing the 2008 figures officially, and in 2009, the rate dropped like a rock? I can't figure out why they published the figures in their Morbidity and Mortality Report. It's not like people die from having a foreskin, or conversely, like the CDC is suddenly going to keep track of circumcision deaths.
There are 14 states, whose Medicaid program no longer covers circumcision, because they see it as elective surgery, which it definitely is.
Circumcision became popular in the 1870s, when they said it cured epilepsy, blindness, self-pollution, and lots of other things. Basically, mental patients masturbated less. Intentionally inflicting pain, so they would associate the area with pain, was a big part of it. Americans got the idea from a fad in Britain. During WWI, someone in the military got the idea that if the soldiers couldn't wash, they should be circumcised, like someone couldn't wipe with a rag. It's been one pseudo-medical reason after another since then.
When one myth falls, the people who want to keep collecting the money erect another one. When I was a kid, it was cervical cancer. Now that cervical cancer has been traced to HPV, it is HIV. Whatever it cures has always been a moving target.
With the internet, people can see that a penis with a foreskin is just a normal penis, very much like a circumcised penis. They wonder why people would demand that this be done to a child. Many have played with an uncut one, and think it is worth keeping that way.
The people who rage and rave about hygiene get corrected by people who actually have a foreskin, or have experience with one. Information is so much freer these days.
That really is a miracle.

 

[CorsicanU]

YEAH ... one more circumcision thread .... I guess now we have 1,033 circumcision threads! GREAT.

That still makes One less circumcision thread than cock pics...
but no ones worried about that.
And no one should be worried about how many "circumcision threads" we
have, if its not of interest, dont read it.

Circumcision seems to have been similar to the margarine trend of
the 80's.
Every other television commercial warned of the inherant danger
of consuming butter and offered melted plastic instead.
The nation bought the message and millions of tubs of the yellow
shit were sold and the manufactures laughed all the way to the
bank. Still, no reputable chef ever cooked with it
(you cant, it congeals like plastic as it cools) or recomended
the consumption of the crap, but the important thing is IT SOLD
LIKE CRAZY FOR A DECADE-
but only in the U.S.

The premise is the same,
it was "healthier".

Now we know better.

I think circumcision is on the decline, perhaps, partly due to the
internet with all this information swapping going on. As I've
stated in other threads (and I dont mind several threads on the
same subject if the subject is noteworthy, as is the current
issue) the most medically advanced countries are the Scandanavian,
Germany and Italy. All other European countries are right behind
but still ahead of the U.S., yet none practice widespread circumcision
for male infants.

If one prefers the look, thats fine, then it should be left up to
an adult male to make that decision, but infant circumcision
is wrong, in my estimation, and unnecessary according to medical
experts the world over.

 

[flawdatiger]

Personally, i'm very very happy to be circumcised. I will have my child circumcised as well, if I choose to have one.

I prefer the way mine looks and am totally not a fan of how the glans of an uncut penis will sometimes look strangely pinkish.

If you have one and like that sort of thing, more power to you.

__________________________________________________________________________

I also want to be clear in that I was not emotionally scarred from being circumcised and I don't think my child will either. I've seen some uncomfortable cases of phimosis.

 

[thadjock]

I prefer the way mine looks and am totally not a fan of how the glans of an uncut penis will sometimes look strangely pinkish.

u must really be bummed out that your lips are a different color from the rest of your face then. i'm sure they could cut those off, just ask! then you could look like your whole body was made from the same plastic, like a ken doll.


__________________________________________________________________________
I've seen some uncomfortable cases of phimosis.

are you a doctor or just hang out with dudes who have medical issues with their penis?

 

[D_Harry_Crax]

Nevada has a small Hispanic population, and its rate of circumcision is 20%.

Not sure how YOU define "small," but the Hispanic population of Nevada is at least 26.5% (with additional Hispanics calling themselves White or Black or more than one race). That's from the 2010 U.S. Census. That figure of 26.5% is higher than Florida, and almost as high as Arizona. The only states that I spotted that have higher percentages of Hispanics than Nevada are California, New Mexico, and Texas (not in that order). So you think Nevada has a "small Hispanic population" when it's the 4th highest percentage in the USA?!?

 

[spikebrace]

Many thanks for the replies.

From what people are saying, circumcision in America has dropped bigtime from almost everyone being circumsised to less than half. That really is quite a change.

I was fascinated by Mandoman's reply in which he talks about states which say that they will no longer perform circumcision as part of the Medicaid programme due to it being seen as elective surgery are correct in that conclusion and it should be the case across all of the US. I believe that this is the case here in the UK where circumcision will only be carried out by the NHS - ie free - if there is a definate clinical need.

Also, Mandonam, a fascinating brief history of circumcision in America. Here in the UK, when circumcision was routinely common in the post-war years, it was a class divide - the upper and middle classes practiced circumcision whereas working class people did not. Now. apart from in some religious communities, it is very rare indeed for circumcision to take place here apart from when there is a medical need, usually because of a tight foreskin.

 

[ShannonH]

Funny, I'm from Ontario, and I dated a girl who said every guy she was with from her backwater rural town was circumcised, and after she left for college and moved in to the city way more guys are not circumcised.

If circumcision is so great, why bother to have your kid circumcised? When they start having sex they could always choose to do it then -- if they are mature enough to have sex they are mature enough to make that decision for themselves. The main reason the practice became so popular in the US was from puritans trying to stop kids from jerking off.
If you're just going to make cosmetic surgery decisions for your kids, why stop at foreskin? How about a rhinoplasty so they don't get made fun of for their nose? Or stitch their ears backed so nobody calls them dumbo? Do you really want to have some arbitrary physical ideal that requires you to slice up children to reach?

 

[D_CountdeGrandePinja]

Have said this before - it should be left to the individual -

much like being Baptized or not.

 

[thadjock]

Have said this before - it should be left to the individual -

much like being Baptized or not.

most catholic kids get baptized as soon after they're born as possible, so they're not able to consent to that either.

 

[xmarksbreakdownx]

I've seen like 3 of my male friends naked. They're all cut.

 

[D_Harry_Crax]

I've seen like 3 of my male friends naked. They're all cut.

I'd like to see YOU naked.

 

[FRE]

most catholic kids get baptized as soon after they're born as possible, so they're not able to consent to that either.

I'm Catholic (Episcopalian) and was not baptized until shortly before I was confirmed at the age of 14. At that time, I thought that if I had died before being baptized I'd have gone to hell; that's what the (Episcopal) priest told me. The Episcopal Church and I no longer believe that, but at the time I was very angry with my parents for risking my salvation. Infant baptism is still the norm in the Episcopal Church, but it is not required at that time.

In my opinion, both circumcision and baptism should be put off until the child is old enough to have an opinion and consent.

 

[B_jeepguy2]

I'm Catholic (Episcopalian) and was not baptized until shortly before I was confirmed at the age of 14.

Are you a Catholic or an Episcopalian? The Episcopal church is a Protestant denomination.

 

[Snozzle]

most catholic kids get baptized as soon after they're born as possible, so they're not able to consent to that either.

If (the physical side of) circumcision wiped off with a paper towel too, there would be much less objection to it.

 

[Snozzle]

Are you a Catholic or an Episcopalian? The Episcopal church is a Protestant denomination.

Strictly speaking the Church of England (Anglican) is still Catholic - it's the Pope's lot that have strayed - at least according to High Church (bells and smells) Anglicans. The Protestant Reformation was separate. But Episcopalians (American Anglicans) are probably more Protestant than other Anglicans.