Circumcisions for medical reasons in the Brazilian public health system: epidemiology and trends

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the epidemiological factors associated tomedical circumcision, based on data from the Brazilian public healthsystem. Methods: Using the Unified Health System public databasebetween 1984 and 2010, hospital admissions associated with surgicaltreatment of phimosis were searched. A total of 668,818 men admittedto public hospitals who underwent circumcision were identified andincluded in the present study. Results: A mean±standard deviation of47.8±13.4 circumcisions/100,000 men/year was performed throughthe Unified Health System for medical reasons. During the 27-yearperiod evaluated, 1.3% of the male population required circumcisionfor medical reasons. Total number of circumcisions and circumcisionrate increased in childhood, declined progressively after 5 years ofage and rose again progressively after the sixth decade of life. Inthe regions of the country with better access to healthcare, 5.8%of boys aged 1 to 9 years old required circumcisions. From 1992 to2010 there were 63 deaths associated with circumcisions (mortalityrate of 0.013%). Conclusion: In conclusion, yearly circumcisionrates could be estimated in Brazil, and a very low mortality rate wasassociated with this procedures. Circumcision is mostly performed inchildren in the first decade of life and a second peak of incidence ofpenile foreskin diseases occurs after the sixth decade of life, whencircumcision is progressively performed again.

Keywords

• Circumcision
• male
• Phimosis
• Unified Health System
• Prevalence
• Child
• Adult
• Brazil