Nearly Half of American Boys Escape the Knife

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TodayÂ?s Parents Say Â?NoÂ? to Circumcision, according to Federal statistics just released, says international human rights group.

The U.S. circumcision rate declined 11.4% over two years, according to figures just released by the National Center for Health Statistics, from 63.1% in 2001 to 55.9% in 2003, following a steady, twenty-five year decline. At this rate, in just 12 years, the US will join other English-speaking countries in abandoning circumcision.

Medicalized, mass circumcision of infants is a uniquely English-speaking phenomenon. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom formerly circumcised the majority of infant boys, but have either abandoned the practice, or reduced the rate to about 1 in 10. The United States medical community stands alone is profiting from a non-therapeutic, unnecessary procedure performed on non-consenting minors.

The largest decline was in western states where the rate dropped 23%; and seven out of ten boys remained genitally intact.

In 2003, 45% of American newborn males left the hospital intact, up from 37% in 2001.

Since 1996, it has been illegal to circumcise girls in the US, but thousands are still at risk every year. The law itself is legally questionable because it lacks equal protection, which the Constitution makes mandatory.

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