Circumcision cuts HIV infection

damers · December 13, 2006

I read this article on the BBC website today. Serious enough you will agree. This is the main part of it :-

"Circumcision can cut the rate of HIV infection in heterosexual men by 50%, results from two African trials show.

The findings are so striking, the US National Institutes of Health decided it would be unethical to continue and stopped the trials early.

It supports a previous South African study which reported similar results.

Experts said it was a significant breakthrough but could not replace standard methods of preventing infection such as condoms.

There are several reasons why circumcision may protect against HIV infection.

Specific cells in the foreskin may be potential targets for HIV infection and also the skin under the foreskin becomes less sensitive and is less likely to bleed reducing risk of infection following circumcision.

When Aids first began to emerge in Africa, researchers noted that men who were circumcised seemed to be less at risk of infection but it was unclear whether this was due to differences in sexual behaviour.

A modelling study done by international Aids experts earlier this year showed that male circumcision could avert about six million HIV infections and three million deaths in sub-Saharan Africa."

As you saw all very serious, and yes, an amazing discovery that could save millions and millions of lives.

But here is the funny side of such a serious study.

The man that is director of the HIV/Aids department of the World Health Organization, that is telling us that circumcision is the way forward for men in Africa and Uganda?

"Dr De c**k said that countries in Africa who wanted to use this approach would still have to decide what age groups to target and there would have to be training and hygienic practices in place.

"This is about as good epidemiological data as we can request. There will be many other research questions about implementation but this is very persuasive."

That is just natures way making me chuckle on an otherwise boring Wednesday night.

muleskinner · December 13, 2006

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