AIDS Avoidance: More studies find that circumcision deters HIV
By Nathan Seppa
Two large clinical trials in East Africa show that being circumcised halves a man’s risk of contracting HIV infection. The finding mirrors the results of a recent South African study (SN: 10/29/05, p. 275: Defense Mechanism: Circumcision averts some HIV infections).
Combined, the reports offer definitive evidence that circumcision confers strong—though not complete—protection against infection by the virus, says Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Md.