CIRCUMCISION LOWERS RISK OF HIV, NOT OTHER STIs

International Family Planning Perspectives, Jun 2004 by Lane, Trevor

Circumcised men have a lower risk of HIV infection than do uncircumcised men; however, the two groups have a similar risk of contracting certain other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), according to a study conducted among 2,298 HIV-negative men who attended three STI clinics in Pune, India, between 1993 and 2000.1 At the first visit and at regular follow-ups, researchers tested the men for HIV-I, herpes simplex virus type 2, syphilis and gonorrhea, and collected information on sexual behavior. Circumcision status was assessed by physical examination. The HIV infection rate was lower among circumcised men than among uncircumdsed men (0.7 vs. 5.5 cases per 100 person-years). After adjustment for social, demographic and behavioral risk factors (including condom use), Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that men who had been circumcised were 85% less likely than those who had not to contract HIV (relative risk, 0.15), and that the two groups were equally likely to acquire the other STIs included in the study. The researchers conclude that circumcision has a "specific protective effect" against HIV infection, and suggest that "the foreskin has an important role in the biology of sexual transmission of HIV."

1. Reynolds SJ et al., Male circumcision and risk of HIV-1 and other sexually transmitted infections in India, Lancet, 2004,363(5):1039-1040.