Circumcision May Reduce HIV Risk for Some Men

Posted on August 29, 2009 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies

The Center for Disease Control is considering new recommendations promoting circumcision for newborn boys. The news comes after a study in Africa showed that circumcised men are less likely to contract H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS. The CDC may also recommend the procedure for adult men who are at high risk of developing the virus.

The study, conducted in Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda, showed that circumcision cut men’s risk of contracting H.I.V. by 50%. However doctors acknowledge that promoting the procedure would not have as dramatic an impact in the United States as circumcision does not seem to reduce the risk for men who have sex with men, the highest risk group in the United States.

Circumcision rates have dropped in recent years from 80% in the 1940s to 65% in 1999, and the American Academy of Pediatrics no longer considers the procedure “essential to the child’s current well-being.” However the Academy is considering revising its opinion to be more favorable of the operation.

While some individuals oppose the new recommendations saying that the surgery is unnecessary and the benefits dubious, doctors like Dr. Peter Kilmarx, chief of epidemiology for the division of H.I.V./AIDS prevention at the CDC, say that anything that could slow the spread of H.I.V. should be seriously considered.

“We have a significant H.I.V. epidemic in this country, and we really need to look carefully at any potential intervention that could be another tool in the toolbox we use to address the epidemic,” says Dr. Kilmarx. “What we’ve heard from our consultants is that there would be a benefit for infants from infant circumcision, and that the benefits outweigh the risks.”