infant circumcision

[electricland]

holy crap. I go looking for a simple statistic and step into a minefield. It's scary out there!

Comments

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

No kidding.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

The Wikipedia debates alone! Jeez!

Is this something you run into in your research?

[raithen.livejournal.com]

there there. it will be ok. a veritable nightmare of over information, but ok :D YOu can handle this. Just don't go OVERBOARD on the research. There are two main sides, figure em out, give a balanced rep'n of each, and be done. You do NOT need to know everything.

And just remember: there are no stooopid clients that you have to deal with, so you are definitely better off.

Also, the sun is shining, and I want to ride, dammit.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I don't even need to do that -- all I have to do is give ONE statistic (recent circumcision rates in Canada) but the only source I've found is dodgy. It cites a reputable source, but the info isn't on the reputable source's website.

I'd leave it, but the only reliable data I have aside from that are from 1970, and I'm pretty sure things have changed (even though the authors of the report I'm writing up were fine with citing it and implying the rate is current -- gah).

Anyway. I have hedged like mad, and I think it'll be OK.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

Ya, definitely it's changed, because I remember hearing something in the media about 6 or 8 months ago about the dropping rates of circumcision in BC.... Dunno where I heard it though. Sorry I can't be of more help! Good for you for hedging though ;)

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Damn Good for the provincial medical plans for delisting it, but it does make my life harder!

[raithen.livejournal.com]

um, also, shouldn't you be done work by now?

[raithen.livejournal.com]

what about contacting OHIP? they should have stats, shouldn't they?

[raithen.livejournal.com]

you've seen this , I presume. I haven't detailed out the source, but in case you hadn't seen it....

[raithen.livejournal.com]

right, direct source questionable, and I assume that this is the one you can't find in the cited database. I'll shut up now ;)

[raithen.livejournal.com]

CTV news story citing Sask Stats

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Bless you! I can probably cobble together something out of all this.

The problem as I understand it is that most provinces have delisted the procedure, so the rates aren't automatically tracked any more. Sigh.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Yep! Heading out to choir as we speak, sore throat and all. (Incidentally, throat lozenges with topical anaesthetic? Scaaary.)

[electricland.livejournal.com]

I didn't actually look at that one. I suppose I could've gone province-by-province. I was trying for a nice overall Canadian table from a source I trust -- CIHI is supposed to have that info, but if they do it's not on their website. Damn them!

However, even CMAJ cited 27% in Saskatchewan (in a news piece, but still). So I think we're on fairly solid ground there. Unless they're all quoting the same thing. Sigh.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

oh, good. glad I could help. And grr. gov'ts!

[raithen.livejournal.com]

have fun at choir!

[electricland.livejournal.com]

that's the problem -- they don't cover it any more, so it would be billed separately.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

and actually, since billed separately, they may actually have very good, if not public, records, since there would be an invoicing trail for each procedure -- they could create the stats from their accounting program.

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

Oh, just stay away from breastfeeding and you'll be comparatively safe.

The BF wackos are much more hostile than the circumcision wackos (and trust me, I know this - I was a new mom in the days of Usenet)

[pixel12.livejournal.com]

I was researching an ACT (australia capital terrority) gov authority call "IntACT!" last week and ended up in a whole pile of scary mess. Wow.

And Wow - saw the stats. Nice that it's dropping, and had no idea that most provinces had de-listed it.

*hugs*

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the warning!

Luckily the story I'm writing is only about pain relief for neonatal circumcision. I think giving baby boys painkillers when we perform surgery on them is something we can all get behind. ;)

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Frightening, isn't it?

*hugsback*

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

Magical thinking is a powerful thing. I honestly believe all the neonatal fanatics believe that if they just do Their Thing their kids will be safe, and seeing safe kids around them whose parents didn't do Their Thing makes them feel threatened.

That said, Godwin's Law could easily have been written specifically for BF/circumcision discussions.

In closing, I leave you with the words of the lactation consultant the hospital sent in, when I told her I'd had breast reduction surgery and couldn't:

Wow. I bet you could just kill yourself.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

O_o

Gee, thanks!

[electricland.livejournal.com]

(I had to go look up Godwin's Law.)