Back in the 1950s, roughly 80 per cent of Australian men and boys were circumcised. That rate has steadily decreased and now, around 20 per cent of Australian newborns are circumcised. This is largely due to developments in modern medicine.
Circumcision is quite common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reviewed current trends of newborn circumcision in the U.S., and the national rate was approximately 60 percent. According to the data, circumcision rates are highest in the Midwest and Northeast and lowest in the West.
Present. Rates vary widely, from over 90% in Israel and many Muslim-majority countries, 86.3% in South Korea, to 80% in the United States, to 58% in Australia, to 45% in South Africa, to 20.7% in the United Kingdom, to under 1% in Japan and Honduras.
Currently, only 10-20% of boys in Australia and less than 10 % of boys in New Zealand are circumcised. Circumcision is generally a safe operation but as with all operations there are risks of minor complications and there have been cases of rare but more serious complications.
From 1920-1970, circumcision was actively promoted in Australia. Most boys born in Australia around 1950 were circumcised. Since then, there has been a big move away from circumcision. Now less than 20% of Australian boys are circumcised.
The CDC researchers estimated total circumcision prevalence to be 80.5% (Table 1). Racial differences were apparent: Prevalence was 90.8% in non-Hispanic white, 75.7% in non-Hispanic black, and 44.0% in Mexican American males.
Cosmetic circumcision for newborn males is currently banned in all Australian public hospitals, South Australia being the last state to adopt the ban in 2007; the procedure was not forbidden from being performed in private hospitals.
A very important event in the life of a young male Aboriginal is the which makes him an adult man, and is performed at the first signs of puberty. These initiation ceremonies consist of circumcision and the incision of scars on his chest, shoulders, arms and buttocks.
It Is Your Decision
The American Academy of Pediatrics considers circumcision a choice for parents to make. Some parents choose circumcision for religious or cultural reasons.
Benefit to women
Out of the 60 publications assessed, the evidence showed that female partners are at decreased risk of several diseases, including cervical cancer, cervical dysplasia, herpes simplex virus type 2, chlamydia, syphilis, and human papillomavirus.
Most circumcisions are performed for family, cultural or religious reasons. In Australia today, fewer than 20 per cent of boys are circumcised. When considering circumcision for your child, you should be aware of the possible risks and benefits.
Circumcision rates around the world
It is most common among Muslims and Jews, as it is part of religious law in Judaism and is an established practice in Islam. Circumcision is also standard in the United States and parts of Southeast Asia and Africa, but is rare in Europe, Latin America, and most of Asia.
Anti-circumcision advocates argue that it is better to forgo the procedure in infancy and allow the child to make his own decision later on. As a result of this intuitive reasoning, rates of circumcision have fallen from about 85% in 1965 to roughly 58% in 2010, the latest year for which solid data is available.
Conclusion: The highest-quality studies suggest that medical male circumcision has no adverse effect on sexual function, sensitivity, sexual sensation, or satisfaction.
In Japan, routine male circumcision has never been implemented for newborns and children, and adult males are mostly circumcised at aesthetic clinics. However, media reports indicate a trend of Japanese mothers willing to have their sons circumcised.
After the circumcision has healed:
Occasionally a small piece of the foreskin remains. You should pull back this skin gently each time the child is bathed.
The Catholic Church currently maintains a neutral position on the practice of cultural circumcision, as the church has a policy of inculturation.
Risks. The most common complications associated with circumcision are bleeding and infection. Side effects related to anesthesia are possible as well. Rarely, circumcision might result in foreskin problems.
Circumcision isn't required. If parents choose this for their baby, the procedure is usually done on the first or second day after birth in a healthy baby. However, it can be done within 10 days of birth. Circumcision is riskier and more complicated in infants older than 2 months of age and in older boys and men.
In China, the nation with the largest population in the world, circumcision is generally treated as a selective medical intervention to treat some diseases; only 2.66% of males have been circumcised, and EIMC is not a traditional practice, except among Muslims, who account for < 3% of the population [14].
NEW ZEALAND'S PEOPLE1
Tradition has it that the Maori ceased this practice on leaving the source island(s), and they do not appear to have ever performed any genital modification after their arrival in Aoteoroa (their name for New Zealand).
Male circumcision is widespread in the Muslim world, and accepted as an established practice by all Islamic schools of jurisprudence. It is considered a sign of belonging to the wider Muslim community (Ummah). Islamic male circumcision is analogous but not identical to Jewish male circumcision.
Current health advice in Australia does not support routine circumcision for non-medical reasons. However, it is considered reasonable for parents to think about the risks and benefits of the procedure in their own son's situation when deciding whether or not to circumcise their child.
For the longest time, this practice did not draw any attention in Germany, though many Christian and non-believing families here, in contrast to the U.S., do not have their children circumcised. Jewish and Muslim families had no problems getting their boys circumcised.
Over the 32-year period, the percentage of newborns receiving circumcision at birth decreased 37%, from 63.9% in 1979 to 40.2% in 2010. Most of this decrease occurred in the 1980s, with the rate dropping to 41.0% in 1989. Rates continued to decrease through 2010, with a low of 31.4% in 2003.