Circumcision rates declining in the U.S.

Fewer baby boys are being circumcised now than in previous years, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The rate, which only takes into account circumcisions performed on newborns in a hospital setting, has gone from 64.5 percent in 1979 to 58.3 percent in 2010.

According to the CDC, newborn circumcision rates for the four U.S. census regions showed distinctly different patterns. The data, which was released Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics, points out that the decline has been steeper in western states with a 37 percent decrease over the last 32 years.

A range of potential reasons could be behind the decline. Mixed messaging on the health benefits and cultural and religious beliefs are just a couple of them.

In a 2012 statement The American Academy of Pediatrics said that the "benefits are not great enough to recommend universal newborn circumcision."

"After a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics found the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks, but the benefits are not great enough to recommend universal newborn circumcision." The group concludes that, "[T]he final decision should still be left to parents to make in the context of their religious, ethical and cultural beliefs."

The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics told NPR that the change suggests that parents are spending more time thinking about whether or not circumcising their children is the right thing to do.

"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," McInernya said. "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."