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Routine circumcision practice in Western Australia 1981-1999.
Katrina Spilsbury1, James B Semmens, Z Stan Wisniewski
1Western Australian Safety and Quality of Surgical Care Project, Centre for Health Services Research, School of Population Health, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
ANZ Journal of Surgery
|July 31, 2003
Summary
Routine circumcision rates in Western Australia are declining for infants but rising for older boys. Factors influencing infant circumcision include rural location and middle socioeconomic status.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Public Health Trends
- Demographic Analysis
Background:
- Routine neonatal circumcision has seen a decline in most English-speaking nations.
- Understanding current circumcision trends in Western Australia is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate trends in routine circumcision incidence in Western Australia.
- To analyze circumcision patterns based on sociodemographic factors.
Main Methods:
- A population-based study utilized hospital morbidity data (1981-1999).
- Medicare insurance rebates estimated out-of-hospital circumcisions for infants under 6 months (1994-1999).
Main Results:
- Circumcision rates for boys under 6 months decreased from 9.8% (1994) to 7.9% (1999).
- Infants in rural areas were 3.3 times more likely to be circumcised than those in metropolitan Perth.
- Middle socioeconomic groups were twice as likely to circumcise sons compared to higher/lower groups.
- An increase in circumcisions for boys over 6 months offset the decline in younger boys.
Conclusions:
- Circumcision remains a common procedure in Western Australia, with an estimated 10.2% of boys circumcised by age 15 in 1999.
- The rate of routine circumcision in boys under 6 months is decreasing, while it is increasing in older boys.
- Living in rural areas and middle socioeconomic status are identified risk factors for infant circumcision.