[Brandye]

Bear,

You cite the basic study, Thanks. There have been continung efforts and the UN, like governments, moves slowly. The updates are mostly an iteration of the original study. Last week there notices circulated through medical channels throughout the world and I also read it in The Independent (a nationally distributed paper in the UK).

Canoodle,

The volume under the foreskin on an uncircumcised man requires constant hygiene. In some local studies, swabs have been taken from the corona of uncricumcised men and circumcised. The uncircumcised men carried many more bacteria of various types than the circumcised men. This area carries both virus' and bacteria and increases the chance of both contracting and giving STDs of all sorts. The classic studies, first noted 100 years ago and seriously studied for forty years, focus on cervical cancer in different populations. Those cultures who have traditionally practiced circumcision have (Jews and Muslims) have much lower incidence of cervical cancer than other cultures. In a large German study about ten years ago and with ongoing follow up, women with circucised partners have lower rates of cervical cancer than those with uncircumcised partners.

Demon,

In groups throughout sub-Sahara Africa, education has been attempted, condoms have been distributed by the millions and circumcision has been tried. The most successful attempts have been those group using circumcision. Some NGOs that give health care (Medicins sans Frontieres, for example) do hold patients for a few days after circumcision and educate them in the process.

Imagina a population that will have in excess of fifty percent babies born already infected and you can see this is a seemingly intractable problem.

Whatever works and, in this case, the WHO is pleading with richer countries to help pay for the effort.