Pro-Circumcision - NO BASHING

[NikkiPhoenix]

Study: Circumcision helps prevent 2 STDs

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

10:14 PM EDT, March 25, 2009

LOS ANGELES - Circumcision not only protects against HIV in heterosexual men, but it also helps prevent two other sexually transmitted infections, a large new study found.

Circumcised males reduced their risk of infection with HPV, or human papillomavirus, by 35 percent and herpes by 28 percent. However, researchers found circumcision had no effect on the transmission of syphilis.

Why circumcision may reduce the risk of infection is not entirely known. But researchers think cells in the foreskin of the penis may be susceptible to HPV and the herpes virus.

Landmark studies from three African countries including Uganda previously found that circumcision lowered men's chance of catching the AIDS virus by up to 60 percent. The new study stems from the Uganda research and looked at protection against three other STDs. The findings are reported in today's New England Journal of Medicine.

"Evidence now strongly suggests that circumcision offers an important prevention opportunity and should be widely available," Drs. Matthew Golden and Judith Wasserheit of the University of Washington wrote in an accompanying editorial.

Worldwide, only about 30 percent of men are circumcised. The figure is higher in the United States, where about 79 percent are circumcised, according to surveys by the National Center for Health Statistics.

An international team of researchers who conducted the study said circumcision, the surgical removal of the foreskin from the penis, should be an accepted method to reduce sexually transmitted infections among heterosexuals.

"It must be emphasized that protection was only partial, and it is critical to promote the practice of safe sex," they wrote.

HPV can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Herpes greatly increases the chances of infection with HIV.

The latest research involved 3,393 HIV-negative heterosexual adolescent boys and men from Uganda who were part of the original HIV study. About half were randomly selected to undergo circumcision right away while the rest had the procedure 2 years later. All had physical exams and were offered voluntary HIV counseling and condoms.

After two years, herpes infection was detected in 114 circumcised men, compared with 153 uncircumcised men. HPV was detected in 42 circumcised men compared with 80 uncircumcised.

The researchers considered condom use, number of sex partners and other factors to calculate the risk reductions.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation. It was conducted by the Rakai Health Sciences Program and Makerere University in Uganda, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a division of the National Institutes of Health.

[sophie_sue24]

Mar. 26, 2009 at 11:40 AM

Very interesting Article. 

 

[NorahSethsMommy]

Mar. 26, 2009 at 11:42 AM

I did all the research I possibly could before my son was born and decided circumcision was the best way to go. I think a mother has to do what she thinks is right but time and time again I have seen moms who are hard core on one side or the other, but dont even really know why. It makes me crazy when someone makes a decision but didnt do any research to find out why that is best for her child.

[mylovex0306]

Mar. 26, 2009 at 3:51 PM

Interesting article. I researched everything before my husband and I made our choice. While we did not circumise I don't downfall people who do. Both my boys have been taught to fully clean themselves downthere. I made the right choice for them. But everyone is different. But it was a interesting article to read thank you!

[Anouck]

Mar. 26, 2009 at 3:58 PM

Thanks for deleting my comment... I wasn't bashing, like I said, I really don't care what other people do.

I just think it's very dangerous to teach our kids they don't have to worry about protection, because they're circumcised and "safer"... Regardless of what you choose, circumcision or not, you HAVE to teach your children that the best protection against STD's (aside from abstinence, which just isn't very realistic) is to use CONDOMS.

That's all....