According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) report from the National Center for Health Statistics, during a 32-year period from 1979 through 2010, the national rate of infant circumcision dropped 10 percent overall, from 64.5 percent to 58.3 percent. Furthermore, the overall percentage of infants circumcised was highest in 1981 at 64.9 percent, and lowest in 2007 at 55.4 percent.

“The overall modest rate of decline reflects that parents are more thoughtful about circumcision now than they were a decade or two ago when circumcision was a given,” Dr. Thomas McInerny, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), told NPR in an email. “I don’t think that anyone has surveyed parents by U.S. regions to determine why there are significant regional differences, so I can’t tell you why this variation exists.”

The CDC notes that during the 32-year period circumcision rates varied. Mostly dropping during the 1980s, increasing in the 1990s, and dropping again in the early 2000s. These variations took place during a period of transitioning advice on routine infant circumcision. For instance, the AAP’s task force reports during the 1970s declared there was no medical indication for routine circumcision of the infant; AAP updated its stance in 1989, pointing out that there were possible medical benefits to infant circumcision; and then in 1999, an AAP policy statement noted that, despite potential medical benefits of infant circumcision, there was scant evidence to suggest routine circumcision of infants during their birth hospitalization.

There are several regional trends that should be noted. Infant circumcision rates for the four U.S. census regions revealed noticeably contrasting patterns. For infants in the Northeast, the general trend was flat across the 32-year period. In the Midwest, variations in infant circumcision rates generally copied trends in the national rate. In the South, rates for infant circumcision generally rose from 1979 until 1998, after which they fell. In the West, the contrast was most noticeable. During the 32-year period, the percent of infants getting circumcised at birth dropped 37 percent.

According to the Mayo Clinic, circumcision is the removal of the foreskin, which is the skin covering the tip of the penis. Though circumcision after the newborn period is possible, it’s a more intricate procedure. The Mayo Clinic also notes that circumcision is a religious ritual for some families or it can be a matter of family tradition, personal hygiene or preventive health care. However, others deem circumcision to be completely unnecessary.

Is circumcision a good idea? Why do you think circumcision rates have declined? Share your thoughts in the comments section.