Update on Circumcision

[Brandye]

This past week, the World Health Organization issued a plea for circumcision of males in those countries (mostly sub-Sahara) with the highest incidence of HIV infection. Their report and request states that circumcision is the biggest step these nations could take to reduce the spread of AIDS.

[demonbuttercup]

How do they implement circumcision in like 3rd world countries where people barely have food and shelter, much less medical care?
It's sad, b/c then they might end up w/ an infection and die from unclean procedures.

I remember learning in my HIV class how young girls were getting infected w/ HIV b/c some of the older men "believed" that if they had sex w/ a clean virgin... it would cure them. Those poor little girls!!

[canoodle06]

How does circumcision reduce the risk of AIDS??? Sorry - I must be really behind the times!

[DVDBear]

Can you give a link to what you're referencing? Is it more current than this?
edit - I found it, but I don't see where they address many of the points below that were included in their earlier bulletin.

http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/84/7/news10706/en/


"There are other concerns about circumcision. During the healing period, sexually active men are likely to be at higher risk of HIV infection. During this time — approximately three to four weeks — men should be instructed to refrain from sexual activity. There are opponents of male circumcision who see it as a violation of human rights, particularly if carried out on children or adolescents. But perhaps the largest potential problem with circumcision is the false perception of security. Male circumcision is not a magic bullet and does not provide full protection. If men perceive they are fully protected then it could lead to a decrease in condom use or an increase in risky sexual behaiour. This was seen in the Orange Farm study when the intervention groups had significantly more sexual contacts. Dr Venter says: “There is a danger that men will see circumcision as an invisible condom and take part in more risky sexual behaviour. However, it would be the same with an HIV vaccine. The message has just got to be put across carefully that circumcision is part of the jigsaw puzzle of prevention.” Male circumcision needs to be promoted as part of the range of methods to reduce the risk of HIV, including avoidance of unprotected penetrative sex, reduction in the number of sexual partners and consistent condom use."

Pretty much echoes the same concerns that were brought up in an earlier thread on this subject. While no doubt helpful in areas of the world where HIV is rampant it's a poor second to aggressive education in condom use and safe sex behavior.

[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.

[alban lusitanae]

This may be controverscial, but... wouldn't hygiene and safe sex habits do the trick? Quite frankly, I'm scared about this.

In the news, they give a bad POV. They almost sell circumcision as the AIDS vaccine! Get it done, do sex all you want, when you want, how you want with as many people as you want.

Considering hygiene and safe sex (either condoms / same partner, etc) are two absolutely basic premisses in a good sexual development and sex life, this situation almost parallels blaming videogames as the cause for violence in kids. Nevermind tv, radio, newspapers, etc. Same here. Let's cut ourselves, never mind the hygiene and safe sex habits...

My 2 cents

[demonbuttercup]

HIV and circumcision

This is a good link... basically it says that in one study the people of Uganda had access to condoms and education... but like 89% of men didn't use them.
The transmission had something to do w/ certain cells located in the foreskin?!?

[sera300]

Alban:

The issue is the extra tissue which is present causing bacteria and viruses to trap and breed. All the hygiene will not stop this. It's the same as those who have skin folds. You can keep your areas clean but the extra folds do not allow the warm moist areas to dry, expose themselves to air nor to rid themselves of the disease. Hygiene helps but is not nearly effective as the alternative.

[DVDBear]

Originally Posted by sera300

Alban:

The issue is the extra tissue which is present causing bacteria and viruses to trap and breed. All the hygiene will not stop this. It's the same as those who have skin folds. You can keep your areas clean but the extra folds do not allow the warm moist areas to dry, expose themselves to air nor to rid themselves of the disease. Hygiene helps but is not nearly effective as the alternative.

True enough, but let's keep one fact straight here. If you are uncircumsized and NOT using a condom you stand a better chance of catching a sexually transmitted disease. If you ARE using a condom and practicing safe sex I don't think the statistics are significant. In areas of the world like Uganda it may be a valid point to promote the procedure, but alban is right in that it's very dangerous to (perhaps unintentionally) give the impression circumsion as a preventative measure will lesson chances of infection, therefore people conclude they can lighten up on normal safe sex practices. In developed nations where education in this area is high and people understand the importance of protected sex these kinds of news items, given in short headline or sound bites can be problematical.

[sera300]

Originally Posted by DVDBear

True enough, but let's keep one fact straight here. If you are uncircumsized and NOT using a condom you stand a better chance of catching a sexually transmitted disease. If you ARE using a condom and practicing safe sex I don't think the statistics are significant. In areas of the world like Uganda it may be a valid point to promote the procedure, but alban is right in that it's very dangerous to (perhaps unintentionally) give the impression circumsion as a preventative measure will lesson chances of infection, therefore people conclude they can lighten up on normal safe sex practices. In developed nations where education in this area is high and people understand the importance of protected sex these kinds of news items, given in short headline or sound bites can be problematical.

Agreed. I was looking as the physical dynamics associated from what I actually see.