More circumcision needed to control AIDS in Africa

[Purveyor]

04 Aug 2008 22:49:32 GMT

MEXICO CITY, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Governments and health communities need to ramp up male circumcision to prevent HIV infection, particularly in vulnerable countries in eastern and southern Africa, researchers and advocates said on Monday.

Three studies were cut short in 2006 after they showed strong evidence that male circumcision could prevent HIV infection, but very little effort has been made to push for more men to go under the knife, they told a conference on AIDS in Mexico City.

"This is a call to action... to call for male circumcision. It's been two years and still there is not enough money, focus to scale up effort and more needs to be done," said Dvora Joseph, head of the HIV department at Population Services International, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization.

While people were beginning to accept this intervention measure, Joseph said stigma surrounding it was still strong.

"There is no national male circumcision campaign to promote it ... more education is needed," Joseph said.

The researchers said two studies in Africa showed the procedure did not reduce sexual pleasure and function, and did not result in any increase in risk-taking behavior among newly circumcised men.

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REUTERS: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04634.htm

[rzemanfl]

1. Well, I am glad this is talking about men. n/t

[tabatha]

2. In traditional African cultures, circumcision was performed

as part of the coming of age ceremonies.

"The region of the north-eastern Cape (the old Transkei) has many strange traditions. One of these is performed to make men out of the boys - the Khweta circumcision ceremony.

It is a very old tradition and every Xhosa boy has to go through the ceremony before he is regarded as a man. If he does not, his people will forever refer to him as a boy and no self-respecting woman will want to marry him."
http://www.encounter.co.za/article/167.html


"Welcome to the male circumcision boom in Africa, marketed as the new silver bullet in the arsenal of AIDS prevention.

Swaziland has "circumcision Saturdays", for the convenience of the working man who does not want to miss work. Last year, teams of Israeli surgeons toured the tiny kingdom showing doctors how to snip foreskins nice and easy, fast and clean. Kenya, Rwanda and Zambia are rolling out male circumcision programmes and men are queuing at the clinics."
http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/51735/2008/06/16-145209-1.htm

[Igel]

4. I wonder if anybody has stats on Khoei-San infection rates.

I've read a claim that Duffy--a cell receptor that helps provide malaria resistance--may well help with infection and longevity of HIV-infected people. But malaria wasn't endemic in the Khoei-San range, and most of the blacks in Africa that are severely affected by HIV are relatively recent immigrants--last 1000 years or so.

It makes me wonder if the Khoei-San have the anti-malaria version of Duffy. But, more to the point, I wonder if Khoei-San infection rates are like that of the primarily "Bantu" population surrounding them?

[tabatha]

5. It is quite a topic....

Try googling "KhoiSan malaria aids".

I came across a lot of interesting stuff.

I think the spelling Khoei-San won't get the same results as KhoiSan.

[CTyankee]

3. Uh, oh. Here comes the circumcision thread with the expected DU firestorm.

I can feel the storm coming...

[yellowcanine]

6. Brings to mind the old joke about the rabbi and his wallet made of foreskins.

When stroked it turned into a set of luggage.

[vinylsolution]

7. If mass circumcision is good for Africa....

... mandatory castration for Republicans should be the next humanitarian goal.