Current trends in routine newborn male circumcision in New York State

Despite the fact that circumcision of the new-born male has been practiced for at least 6,000 years, the procedure remains controversial. Circumcision rates in the United States remain among the highest of any nation in the industrialized world, yet there is little descriptive data on the demographic characteristics of newborns who are circumcised. New York State's hospital discharge data were used to examine demographic patterns for the procedure for the period 1980-1986. Circumcision was less common in New York City than in other areas of New York State, and was more common in private hospitals than in public hospitals. Whites had the highest rate of circumcision (70%), while Hispanics had the lowest (25%). Newborns under Medicaid coverage were more likely to be circumcised in voluntary hospitals than in public hospitals (45% vs 33%). We conclude that circumcision rates vary depending on a variety of factors, some of which may be attributable to the physician and others to family and society.