Male circumcision estimates updated

New estimates published online in Population Health Metrics suggest that 37 percent to 39 percent of men are circumcised worldwide. Approximately half of all male circumcisions were performed for religious or cultural reasons. The authors conclude that their estimates of the prevalence of male circumcision in all countries and territories in the world are the most accurate to date, in large part because more national surveys are now collecting information about the procedure. They caution, however, that their study has limitations, which could mean that the estimates (provided in a table, by country) are either too high or too low (Population Health Metrics, 1 March 2016).