Determinants and Policy Implications of Male Circumcision in the United States (American Journal of Public Health)

Researchers sought to determine whether lack of state Medicaid coverage for infant male circumcision correlates with lower circumcision rates. They used data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample on 417,282 male newborns to calculate hospital-level circumcision rates, and they used weighted multiple regression to correlate hospital circumcision rates with hospital-level predictors and state Medicaid coverage of circumcision. Lack of Medicaid coverage for neonatal male circumcision correlated with lower rates of circumcision. Because uncircumcised males face greater risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, lack of Medicaid coverage for circumcision may translate into future health disparities for children born to poor families covered by Medicaid.

Publication Authors:

• Arleen A. Leibowitz, PhD
• Katherine Desmond
• Thomas Belin, PhD