Infant Circumcision in Ontario, 1994-95

Despite repeated recommendations by the Canadian Paediatric Society (most recently in 1996) that neonatal circumcision not be performed, and despite the fact that the procedure is no longer covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, Ontario still has one of the highest rates in Canada. In 1994-95, Essex County had the highest rate of circumcisions (performed in hospitals on male children under the age of 28 days) among the 33 health districts in Ontario. Some of the rates include:

  District Health Council         # of procedures         age-adj. rate
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  Durham region                        1727                   47.1%
  Essex county                         1639                   70.0%
  Hamilton-Wentworth                     52                    1.6%
  Kingston, Frontenac and                42                    3.8%
  Lennox & Addington
  Metropolitan Toronto                 3806                   21.2%
  Niagara Region                       1224                   50.0%
  Ottawa-Carleton Region               2262                   45.1%
  Peel Region                          1178                   16.2%
  York Region                           937                   22.8%
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  Source: Canadian Institute for Health Information, Ontario Ministry of Health.

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