Circumcision Reduces HIV

Men who have undergone circumcision are twice less likely to be infected with HIV than uncircumcised men. As well circumcision helps to prevent hundreds of thousands (not to say millions) of new infections - a recent study says.

Though the researches cautioned that circumcision does not make those who have undergone it immune to the virus, circumcised men worked so well that that scientists had to stop two clinical trials in Kenya and Uganda in order to announce the results on the 14th of December.

Public health leaders strongly believe that the results of the research prove circumcision to be a very powerful way to reduce HIV rates in Africa, the continent where AIDS rate is the highest in the world. According to Dr Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organization's Department of HIV, circumcision has the potential to prevent tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands "and perhaps millions of infections over coming years"

The study was carried out by US National Institutes of Health in Kisimu (Kenya) and involved 2784 men aged from 18 to 24. The study showed circa 53 per cent reduction of HIV infections in men who have undergone circumcision compared to those men who have not undergone it.

There was a parallel study which involved 4996 men from 15 to 49 in Rakai, Uganda. This study revealed that circumcised men were 48 per cent less likely to get infected than those who have not undergone circumcision.

The first major study on the issue was carried out last year in South Africa and showed that circumcised men were 60 per cent less likely to get HIV compared with uncircumcised men. The research team of the new study viewed the new trials as strong confirmation.

Both trials began in 2005 and were due to go until the middle of 2007, but the scientists ended it early offering circumcision to all men involved in the study as well as to all others, as circumcision can reduce both an individual's risk of getting infected and rate of HIV spread in general.

According to Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases circumcision reducing risk of infection in men can considerably contribute to lowering HIV rate among women.

Experts explain this effect of circumcision by the fact that cells on the inside of foreskin ( i.e on the part of the penis which is removed in circumcision) are very susceptible to HIV. As well scientists suppose that HIV better survives in wet and warm environment like one which can be found beneath foreskin.

Scientists caution that circumcision is not absolutely protective, it is only a powerful addition to other HIV prevention methods rather than a replacement of these. So any man, no matter whether he is circumcised or not should use a condom, especially if he is a gay practicing anal sex.

As well circumcised men and their partners should consider other safer sex rules

limit the number of sex partners, preferably to have only one regular partner

always use condoms when being engaged in sex with a casual partner/

regularly undergo tests for HIV

do not share your sex toys with anyone as sex toys do transmit HIV and other sexually transmitted disease. A sex toy must belong to only one person!

Always get treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, as they make your body more susceptible to HIV

Besides the mentioned above, circumcision has some more benefits

Benefits of circumcision

1. It contributes to better hygiene, thus a man becomes less likely to have many penile diseases.

2. It has been proven that wives of circumcised men are much less likely to have uterine cancer than wives of those men who have not undergone circumcision.

3. Circumcision is the best way to cope with early ejaculation. Circumcision enables a man to perform sexual intercourse two-three times longer than before circumcision. Thus circumcision contributes to more harmonious relationships, as it is known that women take much more time than men to get aroused and to orgasm.