Earlier male circumcision may help to slow rates of HIV, HPV transmission in South Africa

October 6, 2011 in HIV & AIDS

According to Anna R. Giuliano, Ph.D., program leader in cancer epidemiology at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., and colleagues in the Netherlands, earlier circumcision of males in South Africa may be a positive step in slowing the spread of both HIV and the human papillomavirus (HPV). Their commentary and data were published in a recent issue of the British medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases (Vol. 11) 581-582.

"Countries with high incidences of HIV also have high incidences of cancer-related HPV," said Giuliano. "This is especially true in South Africa."

Commenting on a study related to circumcision and HIV and HPV transmission, Giuliano and her colleagues note that studies have shown that circumcision of HIV-infected men does not reduce HPV transmission to their female partners. Many factors may account for this lack of efficacy. However, Giuliano and colleagues suggest that the high prevalence of HPV among the HIV-infected men (73 percent in the intervention group and 69 percent in the control group) and the high prevalence of HIV among the female partners of greater than 60 percent, relates to the lack of efficacy of male circumcision. In that study, it was pointed out that the high and sustained prevalence of HPV among the HIV-infected individuals is "likely to overwhelm any preventative effect of circumcision."

" is important for reduction of not only HIV infection but also HPV infection in HIV-negative men and their female partners," said Giuliano. "However, its efficacy seems limited to HIV-negative men. These results suggest the need for early circumcision to achieve maximum effectiveness in populations with a high incidence of HIV and cervical cancer."

For maximum reductions in HIV and HPV infections and related diseases in women, such as cervical cancer, the researchers recommend that both circumcision and HPV vaccination of the male population should be delivered prior to sexual debut.

Provided by H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

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CraigGarrett
Oct 06, 2011

Rank: 4 / 5 (4)
Circumcision to prevent STDs does not make sense. Circumcised men still have to use a condom, just like intact (uncircumcised) men. The best way to prevent STDs is through education about safe sex, not surgery. Don't let them fool you into getting circumcised - you'll still have to wear a condom every time.
CHollman82
Oct 06, 2011

Rank: 4 / 5 (4)
What a crock of shit, ear infections too should I cut my ears off? Athletes foot? Just cut your toes off!

Religious nonsense, fear-mongering.
Hugh7
Oct 12, 2011

Rank: not rated yet
The key words are "circumcision of HIV-infected men does not reduce HPV transmission to their female partners." The rest of her claims are an attempt to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Circumcision of any babies or men makes very little difference to disease transmission in either direction. Anna Giuliano has previously claimed that circumcised men get less HPV than intact men, but she used men from Mexico and Brazil (almost all intact) and the USA (mostly circumcised). There are plenty of differences between those countries that explain the difference better. Previously Wawer et al. started to show that circumcising HIV men INcreases their risk of transmitting HIV to women, but (so?) they cut that study short before that could be confirmed.

Circumcision is a "cure" looking for a disease, an excision looking for an excuse.
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