An article published online in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine looked at what would happen to medical costs in the United States if the rate of infant circumcision continued to decrease at its current rate. Between 1995 and 2008, the rate of infant circumcision dropped from 64 to 56 percent for a variety of reasons. The rate may continue to drop, particularly if more states drop Medicaid coverage for the procedure. Right now, the prevalence of circumcision is much lower in states where circumcision isn't covered by insurance than in states where it is.
Studies suggest that male circumcision is associated with decreased rates of HIV and HPV for men, and decreased rates of cervical cancer for their female partners. Although circumcision isn't nearly as effective at preventing these STIs as safe sex, it does have a noticeable effect on risk. Therefore, the researchers estimated that if U.S. circumcision rates dropped to those seen in Europe, there would be 12 percent more HIV cases, 19 percent more herpes infections, 29 percent more HPV infections, and more than twice as many urinary tract infections among men. Among women, BV, trichomoniasis, and HPV would also increase significantly.
The estimated cost of the reduction in circumcision would be $505 million for each year where infants were circumcised at low levels. Although that number seems enormous, it only represents an increase in lifetime health costs of $407 per male birth and $43 per female birth. That's significant, since a circumcision only costs around $254 on average. However, it is still a low enough cost difference that parents can feel comfortable proceeding however they think is best. In the end, this research is unlikely to change the minds of the many people who consider infant circumcision to be an unnecessary violation of a child's rights.
Source: http://std.about.com/b/2012/08/29/the-cost-of-skipping-the-cut.htm
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