The Maternity Experiences Survey, conducted in 2006 by the Public Health Agency of Canada, found an average national newborn circumcision rate of 31.9%.
The results of that study, gathered through telephone interviews with nearly 6,500 women who had just given birth, were presented at the 2008 annual meeting of the Canadian Paediatric Society in Victoria.
Rates varied widely across the country, from zero in Newfoundland and Labrador to 44.3% in Alberta.
Proportion of male infants circumcised (%),
by province/territory,
Canada, 2006/2007 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador |
* |
| Prince Edward Island |
39.2 |
| Nova Scotia |
6.8 |
| New Brunswick |
18.0 |
| Quebec |
12.3 |
| Ontario |
43.7 |
| Manitoba |
31.6 |
| Saskatchewan |
35.6 |
| Alberta |
44.3 |
| British Columbia |
30.2 |
| Yukon |
* |
| Northwest Territories |
9.7 |
| Nunavut |
* |
| Canada |
31.9 |
| * Numerator too small for rate calculation |
| Source: Maternity Experiences Survey
|
For purposes of comparison, statistics from the 1970s are presented below:
| |
1973 |
1974 |
1975 |
1976 |
1977 |
| |
proportion of male infants circumcised (%) |
| Canada |
47.4 |
46.9 |
44.3 |
41.9 |
38.8 |
Newfoundland and
Labrador |
3.2 |
5.3 |
4.5 |
3.3 |
2.4 |
| Prince Edward Island |
60.9 |
66.9 |
66.3 |
56.4 |
53.4 |
| Nova Scotia |
39.8 |
37.3 |
35.6 |
31.7 |
27.8 |
| New Brunswick |
40.6 |
40.9 |
39.5 |
35.1 |
31.8 |
| Quebec |
27.7 |
25.2 |
21.5 |
16.2 |
12.7 |
| Ontario |
59.8 |
60.0 |
57.7 |
55.7 |
54.3 |
| Manitoba |
55.6 |
56.3 |
52.0 |
52.3 |
46.7 |
| Saskatchewan |
51.2 |
53.7 |
51.0 |
53.7 |
51.2 |
| Alberta |
55.8 |
55.8 |
53.9 |
50.7 |
52.6 |
| British Columbia |
54.7 |
52.4 |
54.1 |
58.0 |
46.0 |
| Yukon |
n/a* |
65.0 |
68.0 |
64.7 |
74.8 |
| Northwest Territories |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
| * n/a, not available |
| Source: Wirth JL. Current circumcision practices: Canada. Pediatrics 1980; 66(5): 705-708
|
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