Circ Rates by Region

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

I just happened across this article while diddling around online. I'm not posting it to start 'the debate', but rather to see if what's posted here holds with what you see at your place of work.

By region of the US, the avg circ rates are

West - 31%

South - 56%

Northeast - 65%

Midwest - 75%

There wasn't any definition as to what states are included in which region, so I'm unsure how it was divided up.

Here's the link to the article.

P.S. To answer my own question, I'm in the South, and that number is about right for the hospital where I work.

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

For what it's worth, I'm in the west and when I had my OB rotation in school, my preceptor in the newborn nursery stated they circ about 1 in 3, so that matches pretty well to that article.

[NurseCard, ADN]

Hmmm, I'm surprised the rate in the south is not larger, and that the rate in the north is so large.

[vashtee, RN]

The differences by region could be related to demographics. For example, the west has a very large Hispanic population, which traditionally has not practiced routine circumcision.

[broncopooh]

I'm also in the west and we have a pretty large hispanic population who rarely have their babies circumcised. Our rate is around 60%. If u don't count hispanics I'd say our circ rate would be around 95% so that's probably a lot of the difference.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

I'd say probably 30-50% of our patients are Hispanic, and there are more and more non-Hispanic patients I'm seeing not circing. :w00t:

Is it fair to say there is a higher (Hispanic and otherwise) immigrant population out West? Most cultures outside the US don't circumcise babies, so it would stand to reason that if there's a higher overall immigrant population in the West, then circ rates would drop. This is just a hypothesis, so maybe our friends out West could enlighten us...

We have a fair amount of European and Asian immigrants give birth at my hospital, and the whopping majority don't circ.

[vashtee, RN]

Is it fair to say there is a higher (Hispanic and otherwise) immigrant population out West? .

As far as I know, california has the highest immigrant population in the entire country, followed by Florida, Texas and New York. When I thinnk about the noorthern states, i think about the Muslim population in Michigan, and they circumcize their boys.

[alicewhitt]

We had a big Asian and Pacific Islander demographic in Seattle/West, and of course the Birkenstock demographic that did not choose to circ.

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

I live in the south and I'm told our circ rate is 50/50 so it matches the article. Our patients are primarily insured middle class. Our nursery is a level II.

[MalgaBSN]

I'm in the midwest, sadly, I bet our rate is closer to 98%.

[Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP]

When I thinnk about the noorthern states, i think about the Muslim population in Michigan, and they circumcize their boys.

If I'm not mistaken, though, don't some Muslims have their boys circed when they are older - like 8,9 yo? Most of the Muslim patients where I am circ their boys as infants, but we have a goodly number who state they're going to have it done later on.

Also, I'm in the state that's #5 in the nation for Hispanic population, behind CA, TX, FL, and NY. Just for what its worth.

I like to think that our circ rates are dropping also because people are informing themselves. I don't know, though....

[Belinda-wales, RN]

long live the foreskin- I am pleased as I do not want my boys to be the odd one out - we just do not circ in the uk- I am not starting a debate I am really worried about my boys being picked on because they are intact.