Circumcision linked to prevention of HIV in Africa

[Pobblebonk]

:wave: How are you?

I'm interested to get people's perspectives on the recent studies done about how the circumcision of males in Africa has reduced their risk of HIV infection?

I did a Google Scholar search of all journal articles on 'circumcision' for 2006-2007 and they are all pretty much journal articles related to topic of this thread. One of them even talks about how HIV seeks out foreskin cells, or something.

My personal opinion is that, sure, it might reduce the risk of HIV infection however, I believe that if you continue to sleep with someone with HIV that circumcision or not, you'll end up getting it anyway. I don't believe that circumcision is any form of STI contraception.

I'm anti-circumcision, and I have an intact son, and I don't buy the whole 'circumcision helps prevent STIs' view, but I'm interested to hear EVERYONE'S opinion on this topic, as long as there is no attacking of each other's personal opinions and follow basic rules of respect etc.

[SorenLorensen]

ok my sons when/if i have him/them will be circumcised
but i am with you no way do i buy the whole 'circumcision helps prevent STIs' view.

[Beany]

Masses of information to the contrary here: http://www.circumstitions.com/HIV.html

[Pobblebonk]

Masses of information to the contrary here: http://www.circumstitions.com/HIV.html

Thanks, Beany. Looking now.

[the_queen]

Condoms would do a better job, I'd think...

[lotti]

right I think some circumscised men will actually think they are now immune to AIDS.
Personally i would rather see the world get rid of aids and leave foreskins alone lol!

For many reasons my son will be highly educated on sex and pregnancy, stds, birth control. Aids (although awful) is just one STD, there are alot more reasons for me to teach my son safe sex and safe drug use (touch wood he never needs to worry about the latter).

[MotherNurture]

Actually, they've recently found---right before these new recommendations came out---that Langerhans cells, which were theorized to be an entry point for HIV for the last decade, actually do the OPPOSITE---they destroy HIV.

This thread explains:
http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/showthread.php?t=73906


right I think some circumscised men will actually think they are now immune to AIDS.
Personally i would rather see the world get rid of aids and leave foreskins alone lol!

For many reasons my son will be highly educated on sex and pregnancy, stds, birth control. Aids (although awful) is just one STD, there are alot more reasons for me to teach my son safe sex and safe drug use (touch wood he never needs to worry about the latter).

Exactly.

Jen

[MotherNurture]

Just as we feared...


Experts argue that circumcision alone can never prevent the spread of HIV/Aids but it is yet to be understood by the layman.

37- year old Mukasa is not circumcised but is considering it seriously. "I have heard that if you get circumcised, you cannot catch HIV/ Aids. I don't have to use a condom or worry about all those other ways of keeping safe. I finally get a method that suits me..." he says. Mukasa is obviously oblivious of the almost negligible but very important fact surrounding the hyped circumcision as an option to HIV/Aids prevention.

Experts argue that circumcision alone can never prevent the spread of HIV/Aids but it is yet to be understood by the layman. In Uganda, many people are storming clinics, hospitals and quack 'surgeons' for circumcision, barely informed or sensitised in detail about how exactly they will survive HIV through it.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200704091186.html

[Aquamarine]

thanks mothernurture;)

[mum33]

i dont believe that circimcision is a form of contraception or a way of preventing the disease.

i watched a doco on africa and how there are these grown men stealing babies in the middle of the night to have sex with them because they believe a child is pure and will get rid of the aids...now what kinda whacked out sh!t is that?? i cried, how sad is that??? its stupi dmisconceptions such as this that is helping to spread aids in africa.

they really need some better sex education over there. and they need it badly....

[Africamum]

When the HIV rate of many African countrys starts at about 8% of the population I guess they want to believe in something.

The African culture is very different to our own. IMO these men are less likely to wear a condom as it is the manly right. As a women in traditional area's you dont get much of a say (if any)

Our doctors did an HIV awareness session out out the school the other day and they are not even allowed to show the kids what a condom looks like and how it works. The kids are between 7 and 14years old.

It is very sad.

[MotherNurture]

i watched a doco on africa and how there are these grown men stealing babies in the middle of the night to have sex with them because they believe a child is pure and will get rid of the aids...now what kinda whacked out sh!t is that?? i cried, how sad is that??? its stupi dmisconceptions such as this that is helping to spread aids in africa.

they really need some better sex education over there. and they need it badly....

This is heartbreaking, and quite true. Anyone who wants more information can google "baby rape" and "HIV" or "AIDS"---you'll find tons of articles. Basically, there is a belief among many that sex with a virgin will 'cure' AIDS, so men will sometimes seek out extremely young victims-including babies-in an attempt to save themselves from the deadly disease. :(


When the HIV rate of many African countrys starts at about 8% of the population I guess they want to believe in something.

The African culture is very different to our own. IMO these men are less likely to wear a condom as it is the manly right. As a women in traditional area's you dont get much of a say (if any)

Our doctors did an HIV awareness session out out the school the other day and they are not even allowed to show the kids what a condom looks like and how it works. The kids are between 7 and 14years old.

It is very sad.

In addition, men in high risk areas have access to, on average, as few as l0 condoms PER YEAR. Researchers & public health officials are hyping circumcision as this huge preventative measure---even though all the studies were ended early, after ust l2-l8 months, which included the circumcised men's healing time (which can take up to a year) and the 6 month window period where men may be infected but would still test negative. There was no longer-term follow up t to see if this apparent preventative effect was ongoing, and really, even 60% is nowhere near the effectiveness of a vaccine. It's still russian roulette with a half-loaded gun.

I fear all of this is going to backfire terribly. It might just wipe out the entire continent. There are also suspicions that circumcision may increase a woman's risk of becoming infected by her partner (the HIV is in the semen) and research recently showed that many men were having sex too soon after surgery, before wounds were fully healed...which significantly increased infection transmission rates. Duh.

Very sad situation,

Jen

[Africamum]

Jen,

To follow up on what you have said, it is very difficult here for people to go and get tested for HIV, there is such as stigma associated with people who have the disease that people would prefer not to know (and continue to infect their family and anyone else they come into contact with - where I am, monogomy is not widely practiced, as most men have a wife and mistress').

My husbands company provides free confidential testing and free medicine for anyone testing positive and their family and yest it is still difficult to get people into the clinic.

[Lisa&Davey]

Thanks for the info and links everyone! It's the kind of info that's handy to have up your sleeve.

It's such a sad situation over there. Why can't everyone see that education is the only way that Africa or any country for that matter is going to move forward? Ignorance is not bliss, it's downright dangerous.

I think also that circumcision performed on babies in areas that don't have access to clean water and good hygiene is going to result in lots of infections and deformities. A whole generation is going to suffer terribly for these rushed ideas.:thumbsdown:

[nayfie]

I agree with the "wouldn't condoms be better" comment. Good stuff.

[~Kimba~]

Condoms would do a better job, I'd think...

That's exactly what I think too :yes:

Surely it's more helpful to continue to educate people to protect themselves and their partners (esp if they have multiple partners) from a myriad of STIs by practising safe sex, than to create a myth that 'circumcision will prevent the spread of AIDs'.

I can just see thousands of uninformed, uneducated people thinking that because they've been circ'ed, they're safe...and then continuing to contract and spread disease.

It's scary.