Circumcision ‘reduces HIV risk’

A new report suggests that male circumcision can significantly reduce the risk of contracting HIV, supporting long-held beliefs that circumcision can have definite medical benefits.

Research conducted by experts at the University of Illinois found that uncircumcised men between 18 and 24 are at greater risk of contracting HIV than their circumcised peers, prompting concerns over the sexual health of uncircumcised young men.

According to research findings 47 out of 1,391 uncircumcised men contracted HIV over a two year period, compared to 22 out of 1,393 circumcised men.

Study leader Robert Bailey stated that these findings are strong evidence of a link between circumcision and not contracting HIV, but stresses that circumcision is “by no means a natural condom”.

“We now have very concrete evidence that a relatively simple surgical procedure can have a very large impact on HIV,” he stated. “We do know that some circumcised men become infected with HIV but we did find that the circumcised men in our study did not increase their risk behaviours after circumcision.

“In fact, all men in the trial increased their condom use and reduced their number of sexual partners,” he explained.

Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the research involved young men from Kismu, Kenya, where more than a quarter of uncircumcised men are estimated to become HIV infected by the age of 25.