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Circumcision could snip HIV infection rates in half21 December Having a circumcision could halve a man's risk of getting HIV from heterosexual intercourse, according to the interim results of two studies funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). What did the two studies show?The two studies were based in Kenya and Uganda and involved almost 8,000 participants. Both studies compared the HIV infection rates in circumcised and non-circumcised ("control") heterosexual men. The results were due to be published in 2007. Early results showed that circumcised men were only half as likely to become infected with HIV as men who had not been circumcised. So the studies were stopped for ethical reasons, to give the control group access to the benefits of circumcision. A similar study undertaken last year in South Africa was also stopped when the results showed a 60 percent reduction in the rate of HIV infection in men who had been circumcised. The demand for circumcision is likely to rise following the results of these new studies. But circumcision won't give complete protection against HIV, and can't replace other protective methods such as using condoms. What is HIV?Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV infects the body and gradually breaks down the body's defence system, so that it is unable to cope with other infections. A person is said to have AIDS when their body can no longer cope with the attack by HIV on their immune system. How common is HIV and who gets it?The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that around 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV, with around 25 million of these living in sub-Saharan Africa. Anyone can become infected with HIV, but it is most common in people in sub-Saharan Africa and homosexual men. How is HIV passed on?HIV is found in:
So, HIV can be passed on during sexual intercourse, from blood to blood and from mother to baby. What are the symptoms of HIV?Symptoms of HIV are vague, and include losing weight, tiredness, diarrhoea, skin rashes, ulcers on the tongue and genitals, feeling sick and losing appetite. Anyone who is worried about HIV can have a HIV test at their GP surgery, a genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic, or the Terrence Higgins Trust. What is circumcision?Around two in 10 men worldwide are circumcised for religious, medical or other reasons. How can it reduce the risk of HIV infection?There are several possible reasons why having a circumcision may reduce a man's risk of getting HIV. The foreskin is delicate and may be an entry point of HIV into the body during sexual intercourse. It's also thought that HIV may target specific cells on the foreskin. So removing the foreskin may help prevent HIV from entering the body through the penis. Will circumcision protect me completely from HIV?No. Circumcision does not give complete protection, and many people who have been circumcised will still get HIV. To prevent HIV infection, it's very important to continue to use barrier methods of contraception such as condoms. As Dr. De Cock, director of the HIV/AIDS department of the WHO, told the BBC, these findings are a significant advance but circumcision can't replace condoms, which are still the most effective method of protection against HIV. Further information
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