| |
|
Thanks to Hugh O'Donnell for working up
these statistics.
The United States' Circumcision Century
(by Hugh O’Donnell, April 2001)
Male genital mutilation has been
practiced by many unrelated cultures over many thousands of years, so it
was by no means a novel idea for America to adopt it. However, it was
certainly an incongruous development given that America was clearly the
world's leader in science in the 20th century. Mutilation of
the genitals, male or female, is always rooted in superstitious beliefs.
America's embrace of circumcision represents a triumph for superstition
over science.
America cherishes the rights of
individual citizens perhaps more than any other nation on Earth.
Removing any part of a newborn's body (or the body of a child of any
age) without compelling medical justification is a clear and breach of
that individual's rights. It is extraordinary that America, while
bearing the torch of freedom for the world, while ensuring the survival
of human rights in the world, should turn a blind eye to this
mutilation.
During 20th century, more than 120
million foreskins were severed from American penises, more than in any
other country in the world. At the height of the circumcision frenzy, a
foreskin was being sundered, and a penis crippled, every 17 seconds.
Whatever other name one might give the
20th century in respect of America, the appellation "The
Circumcision Century" is particularly fitting. Although male
circumcision was not made compulsory by law, parents who wanted their
sons to grow up complete were either not asked or where browbeaten until
they gave in. The history of newborn circumcision in America is quite
well documented; but the equally unsavory history of premature
retraction and circumcision or older children has received much less
attention.
Many confuse the newborn circumcision
rate with the completely different statistic of what percentage of
living males have been circumcised. The two figures are different; for
example, the newborn circumcision rate in Australia is about 10%, but
close to 50% of all living males in Australia have been circumcised.
The question as to what percentage of
living males in the US have been circumcised is answered in the analysis
below, using data in Wallerstein's book, Circumcision: An American
Health Fallacy. Wallerstein states that the data, "If anything,
errs on the side of caution…." Indeed it is easier to make a case
that the newborn circumcision rates presented by Wallerstein
underestimate the true rates than overestimate them. With that in mind,
the results below may also be underestimates.
Table
1: Intact and Circumcised Male Populations
of the USA by Year, 1900 to 2000
|
|
Male population (millions)
|
|
For 5 year period Commencing with Year
|
|
Year
|
Intact
|
Circumcised
|
Total
|
Circumcised
(%)
|
Male
Births
(millions)
|
Newborn
Circumcision
Rate (%)
|
Newborn
Circumcisions
(millions)
|
Non-newborn
Circumcision
(millions)
|
|
1900
|
30
|
7
|
37
|
18
|
5.1
|
30
|
1.5
|
0.3
|
|
1905
|
33
|
8
|
41
|
20
|
5.6
|
35
|
2.0
|
0.3
|
|
1910
|
35
|
10
|
45
|
22
|
6.6
|
42
|
2.8
|
0.4
|
|
1915
|
37
|
12
|
49
|
25
|
7.0
|
50
|
3.5
|
0.4
|
|
1920
|
37
|
15
|
52
|
29
|
8.0
|
52
|
4.2
|
0.4
|
|
1925
|
38
|
19
|
56
|
33
|
6.2
|
55
|
3.4
|
0.5
|
|
1930
|
38
|
21
|
60
|
36
|
6.3
|
58
|
3.7
|
0.5
|
|
1935
|
38
|
24
|
62
|
39
|
6.5
|
60
|
3.9
|
0.5
|
|
1940
|
37
|
27
|
64
|
42
|
7.5
|
65
|
4.9
|
0.5
|
|
1945
|
37
|
31
|
68
|
46
|
8.7
|
70
|
6.1
|
0.5
|
|
1950
|
37
|
37
|
74
|
50
|
9.9
|
72
|
7.1
|
0.6
|
|
1955
|
38
|
43
|
81
|
53
|
11.1
|
75
|
8.3
|
0.6
|
|
1960
|
38
|
50
|
88
|
57
|
10.7
|
78
|
8.4
|
0.6
|
|
1965
|
38
|
57
|
95
|
60
|
9.3
|
80
|
7.4
|
0.6
|
|
1970
|
37
|
63
|
100
|
63
|
8.7
|
82
|
7.1
|
0.6
|
|
1975
|
37
|
68
|
105
|
65
|
8.5
|
85
|
7.2
|
0.6
|
|
1980
|
36
|
74
|
111
|
67
|
9.8
|
80
|
7.8
|
0.7
|
|
1985
|
36
|
80
|
116
|
69
|
9.9
|
74
|
7.3
|
0.8
|
|
1990
|
36
|
85
|
122
|
70
|
10.4
|
68
|
7.1
|
1.0
|
|
1995
|
38
|
90
|
128
|
70
|
10.0
|
63
|
6.3
|
1.1
|
|
2000
|
39
|
94
|
133
|
70
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Totals
|
165.8
|
66
|
110.0
|
11.4
|
Sources:
Population data: U.S. Bureau of the Census
Circumcision data: Wallerstein
1. 70% of the current
male population of the US have been circumcised.
2. 110 of the 166
million males (66%) born during the century underwent circumcision in
the newborn period.
3. The annual number of
circumcisions was highest between 1955 and 1965. During that decade, 1.8
million males were circumcised every year -- almost 5,000 every day.
4. Between 1915 and 1995
the intact male population remained in a very narrow band between 36 and
38 million, while the circumcised male population soared from 12 million
to 90 million.
5. A male born during
the century who remained intact in the newborn period had on average
about a one in five chance of being circumcised after the newborn
period, or a four in five probability of dying intact. That probability
fell steadily during the course of the century so that, if the current
post-newborn circumcision rate remains constant in the future, a male
born at the end of the century who escaped circumcision in the newborn
period nevertheless has less than a two in three chance of dying intact.
6. The model used to
produce these figures takes into account non-newborn circumcision rates,
the rate of immigration and the circumcision status of immigrants, and
the circumcision status of deaths and emigrants, all important factors
in arriving at the percentage of living males who have been circumcised.
Table
2: Number and Percentage of Living Males in USA in 2000
who have been Circumcised, by Age and Place of Birth
| |
Native Born
|
Foreign Born
|
Total
|
|
Age
|
Pop
(x1,000)
|
NC
(%)
|
LC
(%)
|
Circ’d
(%)
|
Circ’d
(x1,000)
|
Pop
(x1,000)
|
AC
(%)
|
PC
(%)
|
Circ’d
(%)
|
Circ’d
(x1,000)
|
Pop
(x1,000)
|
Circ’d
(x1,000)
|
Circ’d
(%)
|
| |
9,600
|
63
|
1
|
64
|
6,100
|
82
|
5
|
1
|
6
|
5
|
9,683
|
6,105
|
63
|
|
5- 9
|
9,975
|
68
|
1
|
69
|
6,915
|
233
|
15
|
2
|
17
|
39
|
10,208
|
6,954
|
68
|
|
10-14
|
9,548
|
74
|
2
|
76
|
7,225
|
464
|
25
|
3
|
28
|
128
|
10,012
|
7,354
|
73
|
|
15-19
|
9,395
|
80
|
2
|
82
|
7,674
|
756
|
25
|
4
|
29
|
216
|
10,151
|
7,890
|
78
|
|
20-24
|
8,176
|
85
|
2
|
87
|
7,073
|
1007
|
20
|
5
|
25
|
249
|
9,183
|
7,322
|
80
|
|
25-29
|
7,881
|
82
|
2
|
84
|
6,625
|
1174
|
15
|
6
|
21
|
246
|
9,055
|
6,871
|
76
|
|
30-34
|
8,316
|
80
|
3
|
83
|
6,865
|
1455
|
15
|
7
|
22
|
317
|
9,771
|
7,181
|
73
|
|
35-39
|
9,676
|
78
|
3
|
81
|
7,844
|
1539
|
15
|
8
|
23
|
347
|
11,216
|
8,191
|
73
|
|
40-44
|
9,677
|
75
|
4
|
79
|
7,624
|
1362
|
15
|
8
|
23
|
316
|
11,039
|
7,940
|
72
|
|
45-49
|
8,405
|
72
|
5
|
77
|
6,433
|
1096
|
15
|
9
|
24
|
262
|
9,501
|
6,695
|
70
|
|
50-54
|
7,129
|
70
|
5
|
75
|
5,360
|
869
|
15
|
9
|
24
|
213
|
7,998
|
5,572
|
70
|
|
55-59
|
5,537
|
65
|
6
|
71
|
3,953
|
646
|
15
|
10
|
25
|
162
|
6,183
|
4,115
|
67
|
|
60-64
|
4,443
|
60
|
8
|
68
|
3,007
|
525
|
15
|
11
|
26
|
134
|
4,968
|
3,141
|
63
|
|
65-69
|
3,926
|
58
|
8
|
66
|
2,608
|
410
|
15
|
11
|
26
|
107
|
4,337
|
2,715
|
63
|
|
70-74
|
3,543
|
55
|
9
|
64
|
2,282
|
318
|
15
|
12
|
27
|
85
|
3,862
|
2,367
|
61
|
|
80-84
|
1,680
|
50
|
11
|
61
|
1,029
|
134
|
15
|
13
|
28
|
37
|
1,814
|
1,066
|
59
|
|
85-89
|
759
|
42
|
13
|
55
|
421
|
88
|
15
|
13
|
28
|
25
|
847
|
445
|
53
|
|
90-94
|
264
|
35
|
15
|
50
|
133
|
43
|
15
|
14
|
29
|
12
|
307
|
146
|
47
|
|
95-99
|
61
|
30
|
17
|
47
|
29
|
15
|
15
|
14
|
29
|
4
|
76
|
33
|
44
|
|
100+
|
8
|
25
|
19
|
44
|
3
|
3
|
15
|
14
|
29
|
1
|
11
|
4
|
40
|
| |
| |