Electronic letters to:

Journal Article:
E. LeBourdais
Circumcision no longer a "routine" surgical procedure
CMAJ 1995; 152: 1873-1876 [Abstract]
*eLetters: Submit a response to this article

Electronic letters published:

[Read eLetter] Non-circumcision is the norm in Canada
George Hill   (2 October 2006)

Non-circumcision is the norm in Canada 2 October 2006
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George Hill
Doctors Opposing Circumcision

Send letter to journal:
Re: Non-circumcision is the norm in Canada

iconbuster{at}earthlink.net George Hill

Dear Editor:

Kudos to the CMAJ for publishing this prescient paper more than a decade ago.1

Since the publication of LeBourdais’ paper, there have been many changes in Canada. All Canadian health insurance plans have ended coverage of medically-unnecessary non-therapeutic circumcision. St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg no longer permits the performance of this injurious operation.2 The Canadian Paediatric Society reports that many paediatricians refuse to perform the operation.3

The incidence of non-therapeutic male neonatal circumcision has been declining in Canada for years. Reportedly, Newfoundland had no circumcisions and Nova Scotia is down to 1.1 percent in 2003.4 The Canadian Institute for Health Information now reports that in 2005, the incidence of male circumcision further declined to 9.2 percent. Expressed another way, 90.8 percent of Canadian newborn boys are going home with intact genitals.

Non-circumcision of newborn boys now is the norm in Canada by a wide and increasing margin.

George Hill
Vice President for Bioethics and Medical Science
Doctors Opposing Circumcision
Seattle, Washington 98107-4137
USA
Website: http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/

References

  1. LeBourdais E. Circumcision no longer a "routine" surgical procedure. Canad Med Assoc J 1995;152(11):1873-6.
  2. Skerrit J. MD disciplined after wrong baby circumcised. Winnipeg Free Press, Tuesday, July 18, 2006.
  3. Circumcision: Information for parents. Ottawa: Canadian Paediatric Society, 2004. [Full Text]
  4. MacDonald A. N.S. circumcisions continue to drop: Province has second-lowest rate in the country. Halifax Daily News, Saturday, March 25, 2006.

Conflict of Interest:

None declared