Study: As Circumcisions Decrease, Health Costs Rise

If your son is not circumcised as an infant, it could lead to an extra $313 in healthcare costs over his lifetime, according to a new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins University, reported by Yahoo News. That could translate into an extra $2 billion in health care costs overall.

Plus: How a Circumcision is Done

Circumcision rates have fallen 25 percent since the 1980s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The debate over its morality continues to rage, even as studies have linked circumcision to decreased risk of urinary tract infections, HIV, certain kinds of cancers, and HPV transmission. A German court recently classified circumcision as “grievous bodily harm,” and there was a movement afoot in San Francisco to ban the practice altogether. It was eventually struck down last year.

The study, which was published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, took into account the average $291 that the circumcision procedure costs, and weighed it against foreskin-related health issues over time.

If you chose not to circumcise, did you find your son had related health problems? Leave a comment.