Male circumcision fends off the most common STDs
Operation offers partial protection against genital herpes and human papillomavirus
By Nathan Seppa
Male circumcision offers a degree of protection against genital herpes and human papillomavirus infections, scientists report in the March 26 New England Journal of Medicine. Previous research shows circumcision can also protect against HIV, which means the operation can fend off the three most common viral sexually transmitted diseases — all of which are currently incurable.
The new findings, from a study of men and adolescent boys in Uganda, show that circumcision provides only partial protection against these three viruses, and the researchers caution that it should not be considered a full shield.
Nevertheless, that partial benefit could have a huge public health impact, says Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Md. For example, herpes ulcers make a man more susceptible to HIV infection. “Circumcision not only prevents HIV outright, but also prevents [genital herpes] that is associated with an increased likelihood of acquisition of HIV,” he says. “You get a double-positive here.” In Kenya, four out of five people infected with HIV are also infected with genital herpes, says Robert Bailey, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago.