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- - - Circumcisions for Medical Reasons in the Brazilian Public Health System: Epidemiology and Trends

Sunday, 10th of March 2013

• CIRCUMCISIONS FOR MEDICAL REASONS IN THE BRAZILIAN PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND TRENDS

Einstein (Sao Paulo). 2012 Sep;10(3):342-346.

 

 [Article in English, Portuguese]

Korkes F, Silva Ii JL, Pompeo AC.

Source

Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brasil.

Abstract below; full text is at http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1679-45082012000300015&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the epidemiological factors associated to medical circumcision, based on data from the Brazilian public health system.

METHODS:

Using the Unified Health System public database between 1984 and 2010, hospital admissions associated with surgical treatment of phimosis were searched. A total of 668,818 men admitted to public hospitals who underwent circumcision were identified and included in the present study.

RESULTS:

A mean±standard deviation of 47.8±13.4 circumcisions/100,000 men/year was performed through the Unified Health System for medical reasons. During the 27-year period evaluated, 1.3% of the male population required circumcision for medical reasons. Total number of circumcisions and circumcision rate increased in childhood, declined progressively after 5 years of age and rose again progressively after the sixth decade of life. In the regions of the country with better access to healthcare, 5.8% of boys aged 1 to 9 years old required circumcisions. From 1992 to 2010 there were 63 deaths associated with circumcisions (mortality rate of 0.013%).

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, yearly circumcision rates could be estimated in Brazil, and a very low mortality rate was associated with this procedures. Circumcision is mostly performed in children in the first decade of life and a second peak of incidence of penile foreskin diseases occurs after the sixth decade of life, when circumcision is progressively performed again.