This steep decline is a uniform trend throughout the country but it is more evident in the Western states. The data, released by the NCSH on Thursday, excludes the circumcision done outside hospitals, such as those performed by religious institutions during the boy's later years.
The trend for circumcision rates fell in the 1980s but it immediately picked its pace up in the 1990s. During the period covered by the NCHS report, the highest rate for circumcision was in 1981 ay 64.9 percent. The least number of circumcision procedures done was in 2005 at 55.4 percent.
The decision not to circumcise is often a result of religious dogma and cultural dictations. Critics of this procedures point out that circumcision is a "cruel procedure" and the child should not be subjected to it. A non-profit organization was even organized to campaign for the abolishment of circumcision as a necessary medical procedure in a boy's life. The mission statement of Intact America says "protect babies and children from circumcision and all other forms of medically unnecessary genital alteration, whether carried out for cultural conformity or profit, in medical or non-medical settings."
Another reason for this decline is that most health care insurance providers stopped their coverage on circumcision procedures. Some states such as Oregon, Washington, and California, MedicAid provides no coverage for the circumcision of a child.
On the other hand, Douglas Diekma, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics may have an explanation on the drastic decline of circumcision rates in the Western states.
The West Coast has more immigrants from populations that don't circumcise as commonly as we do in the U.S.," Dr. Diekma said. "The Hispanic culture is one of those, and since the West and Southwest are taking on".
Dr. Diekma also attributed the decline to the progressive lifestyle that Westeners have the privilege of enjoying.
"Ever since the founding of this country, the West Coast has attracted people who walk to the beat of their own drummer," he explained. "People here are more likely to question the standard and go a different way."
For more information regarding this issue, here is a video discussing the risks and benefits of circumcision:
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