Circumcision

Circumcision is not covered by health insurance as it is not a medically necessary procedure so you will have to pay for the full cost yourself out of pocket. Circumcision with general anesthesia should cost between $2000 and $3000. This includes the doctor performing the procedure and the anesthesiologist. Circumcision of adults is less expensive, as adults can opt to have only local anesthesia. Local anaesthetic is also typically used for new born babies and due to thin foreskins and quick healing no stitching is required.

Circumcision went out of favour in the 1970s due to a belief that it had no value and is extremely rare in the world outside the United States, and even within the United States, the circumcision rate has dropped by more than half. In 1980 over 80% of newborns in the United States were circumcised while in 2007 less than 40% of infants were circumcised. Circumcision is a rite of passage to manhood in certain African cultures and Australian aboriginal people and Pacific Islanders. It is religiously mandated by the Jewish faith and is considered the better option by people of the Islamic faith.

Circumcision has no known medical benefit but a number of potential benefits. It has been found to reduce risk of heterosexual AIDS by approximately 60-70% and reduce the risk of AIDS for homosexual men who practice only insertive intercourse, greatly reduce the risk of penile cancer and UTIs, reduce the risk of certain other sexually transmitted diseases, and reduce the risk of female partners getting cervical cancer. Many of these conditions are rare. Therefore most doctors have recommended against routine infant circumcision. In recent years the World Health Organisation has supported it in Sub Saharan Africa to fight the AIDS epidemic, and various other medical organisations have shifted toward a more favourable position. Circumcision advocates claim that this is due to accumulating evidence in favour of potential benefits.

Circumcision, like all surgeries, has risks of adverse medical events including surgical error, prolonged bleeding, infection, and pain. Most doctors now recommend pain relief be used with it. A permanent decrease in penile sensitivity and sexual pleasure is often said to be associated. However the AAP advises that currently there is no medical evidence to support this. They advise that because circumcision is associated with strong opinions parents should be cautious of information from unvalidated Internet sources.

The vast majority of men in the world are genitally intact (not circumcised). In most of the world circumcision is rarely practiced. For example in most of Europe, South America, Central America, Africa, and Asia, probably 98 out of 100 men would be intact. However, in some countries a small minority of the population is circumcised. For example in places like Canada and Australia, around 10% of newborn babies are circumcised.

Circumcision is very common in Israel, where there is a large Jewish population. Circumcision is also practiced among some, but not all, Muslims.

In the United States 25 years ago, the vast majority of men were circumcised, but today a minority of infants are circumcised. Circumcision rates have been falling in the United States since the 1970s. In the 1980s, over 80% of newborn male infants were circumcised. By 2007, when the most recent data from the American Academy of Pediatrics was released, less than 40% of newborn male infants were circumcised, meaning that of boys born today in the United States, more are genitally intact then circumcised.

Circumcision rates vary widely by region in the United States. In the Midwest and southeast, circumcision rates remain as high as 65%, while in the western united states, circumcision rates are generally well below 25%.