Changes

'''Australia''', like other English-speaking countries, once had a rather high rate of non-therapeutic neonatal [[circumcision]] of male infants, however Australia (2019) now has a very low rate of non-therapeutic neonatal circumcision. Consequently, the [[circumcised ]] males are concentrated in the older age groups. As they pass away and are replaced by younger [[intact ]] males, the prevalence of circumcised men is diminishing. Circumcised males are now in the minority in Australia and have been at least since 2011.<ref name="cozijn2013">{{REFweb

The incidence of non-therapeutic neonatal [[circumcision]] in Australia approached that of the [[United States ]] in the 1930s through 1960s.

Morgan (1967) criticised non-therapeutic [[circumcision ]] in a letter published in the ''Medical Journal of Australia''.<ref>{{REFjournal

The ''Australian Paediatric Journal'' issue of June 1970, published three articles critical of non-therapeutic infant [[circumcision]].<ref name="leitch1970">{{REFjournal

}}</ref> Australia’s circumcision rate has fallen by over two thirds over the past decade. According to Medicare figures, there were only 6,309 boys (under 6 months) [[circumcised ]] in the 2016/17 financial year, compared with 19,663 in 2007/08. SBS quotes Professor Paul Colditz, head of the Paediatrics and Child Health Division of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, as saying that '''only about 4 per cent of baby boys are being circumcised these days''', “so I guess parents are really making up their own minds on the basis of the available evidence.” He added that there could be some procedures not captured by the Medicare data if performed by religious figures such as [[mohel| Mohels]], but that would be a fairly small number in relation to the 6000 6,000 or so babies [[circumcised ]] in the past year. Professor Colditz attributed the sharp decline to two main factors - — better informed parents and more fathers not being [[circumcised ]] themselves. The number of new fathers (many born in the 1980s and early 90s) who were themselves not [[circumcised ]] is increasing, and they are deciding that there is no reason why they should circumcise their own sons. Parents were also making up their own minds by researching available evidence. “We've entered an era where everyone is looking at the evidence and asking, ‘Is this operation worthwhile, will it be effective, what are the risks?'" Professor Colditz said. Parents are assessing the balance between the potential for any benefits against the potential for harm and damage. “I think the whole of society is getting more sophisticated in the way they do this.”<ref>{{REFweb