Community | August 04, 2008 | 31 comments

Male circumcision to help control AIDS in Africa?

source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKN0463420080805

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JanaPokana
Researchers and activists are calling for an increase in male circumcision to prevent HIV infection, particularly in vulnerable countries in eastern and southern Africa.

Several studies have shown strong evidence that male circumcision could prevent HIV infection. Some researchers even claim that it could be 80 % effective in protecting men against HIV infection.

Unfortunately, very little effort has been made to push for more men to go under the knife.
"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.

One of the problems surrounding male circumcision is stigmatisation and a lack of eduction. 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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31 comments // Male circumcision to help control AIDS in Africa?

  • yaget1chance
    • 0
      yaget1chance  

    • I guess if it harbours the virus for longer periods this is looked at as making infection periods greater? Is this where you are going with this?? I am no doctor, but I think that doing that many medical procedures in third world countries where it is impossible to give all the children needed medical attention, I think the infection from the procedures will kill many people as well. Condoms help, it is proven! Education? I don't know...sounds like trouble.

    • 3 years ago
  • lovelydacey
    • 0
      lovelydacey  

    • SALADIN: My Sexism?
      Wow, no, see, a thin bit of skin, and my fucking clit are *really* not the same. Get your facts straight. Really.

    • 3 years ago
  • anglcazn
    • 0
      anglcazn  
    • lovelydacey:

      You obviously aren't paying attention. Cutting off ANY part of the genitals is mutilation. It's not a thin piece of skin. Apparently, you're not paying attention to the diagram above. Cutting the clit and part of the penis are both very painful and not useful. I'm tired of women like you preaching save a woman's clit and calling it mutilation and yet argue for circumcision for boys.

      And also, I noticed you managed to get Saladin's response deleted.

    • 3 years ago
  • 2helenahandbasket
    • 0
      2helenahandbasket  
    • lovelydacey:

      Wow.

      Well, what you might not see is, cutting off ANY BODY'S ANYTHING is a violation of their body. You might put a high price on your clit, but a guy might put an equally high price on his foreskin, if only he had the opportunity to know.

      As a woman who has been intimate with men who were both intact and circumcised, I vote UNCIRCUMCISED all the way. It's as different as daylight to dark for me. I guess the circumcised guys don't know what they're missing. The foreskin adds a whole new dimension.....

      Just as genital mutilation is bad for girls, it's equally bad for boys.

    • 2 years ago
  • LindseyIndigo
    • 0
      LindseyIndigo  

    • Um, surely 80% effective isn't quite enough when it comes to protection from HIV and AIDs? Surely only effective barrier methods like condoms are the only way forward, not hacking off people's skin?

    • 3 years ago
  • EclecticBadger
  • PWNtheVOTE
    • 0
      PWNtheVOTE  

    • I do want to add in though........if abortion is said to be a womens issue because they have the uterius and give birth then male circumcision is a mens issue.....So I am way more interested in seeing what the guys have to say in this thread. When women grow a penis then I'll take their opinion on this issue into consideration, until then, their opinion means fuck all.

    • 3 years ago
  • PWNtheVOTE
    • 0
      PWNtheVOTE  

    • I haven't made my mind up on this issue but I still don't fully understand how cutting off skin helps to prevent the spread of HIV

    • 3 years ago
  • purplefox
    • 0
      purplefox  

    • This is such a dangerous theory to spread to a population already decimated by AIDS - it'll encourage men who are circumsised not to use condoms and so be under greater risk from the infection - nothing protects as effectively as a condom.

    • 3 years ago
  • EclecticBadger
  • CarlyAlden
    • 0
      CarlyAlden  

    • I could see how this might be true due to the fact that foreskin collects more bacteria and needs to me more well maintained... but preventing AIDS? I don't know...

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • SarahAna
  • PWNtheVOTE
  • JanaPokana
  • UWAZell
  • abbym0308
  • JanaPokana
    • 0
      JanaPokana  

    • I just changed the title of the post to show that the claims made in the study are controversial, to say the least.

      Having done some research, I am quite surprised that none of the proponents of male circumcision actually give a scientific explanation of how and why the procedure can prevent HIV infection.

      Opponents, on the other hand, point out that circumcision often goes hand in hand with certain religious beliefs regarding sexuality that might have something to do with the low number of infections. Furthermore, the fact that men have to remain abstinent for a specific period of time after the operation needs to be taken into consideration.

    • 3 years ago
  • Mr_T
    • 0
      Mr_T  

    • does this come from the same researchers as those in africa who think having sex with a virgin (resulting in child rape) will cure you of AIDS!?

    • 3 years ago
  • anglcazn
    • 0
      anglcazn  

    • Isn't this like saying nothing will happen if you have oral intercourse instead of sexual intercourse? :/ I call bullshit on this study.

    • 3 years ago
  • unclepete
  • Ras_Yuhanna
  • zekezurdley
    • 0
      zekezurdley  

    • this kind of "research" is idiotic and makes me wonder about the real motive of someone who would promote such barbaric ritual. circumcision cannot and does not prevent any disease.

    • 3 years ago
  • kennymotown
  • McGaspa
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  

    • FUCKING BULLSHIT

      Circumcision is MUTILATION and it DOES NOT help prevent AIDS. That is bogus research done by fucking flatearth apologists.

      Circumcision was STARTED for the purpose of preventing sexual pleasure and all reputable medical organizations, the U.S. included, recognize it as such.

      This is cultural IDIOCY.

    • 3 years ago
  • lovelydacey
    • 0
      lovelydacey  
    • Saladin:

      When a man learns how to take care of himself, use a condom maybe, then this wont be an issue, will it?
      I may be a woman, and yes it's true that men have been proven to have higher sexual pleasures and whatnot, isn't the fact that men seem incapable of spreading this disease once infected? Many men can control themselves, but if that were the case all around, we wouldn't be talking about this. If this could save the woman (or man) you loved, wouldn't you do it?
      If I were a man (shudder) then I would do whatever I could to protect the one I loved, both physically and emotionally.

    • 3 years ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • Saladin:

      If removing your clitoris did the same thing would you think it was ok?

      Your argument is utter sexism.

      That's not even acknowledging that this is RIDICULOUS.

      There is NO science to suggest that circumcision stops the spread of AIDS. It's fucking stupid.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  
    • Saladin:

      There is not less feeling. No one can really vouch for that unless they have had both in their life time.

      There is no evidence to even back that up. There are suggestions but that's not evidence, that's to help someone who uses the word mutilation to inflict fear to push their own agenda...not fact or, for that matter, truth.

    • 3 years ago
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  
    • Saladin:

      JJ, you know NOTHING about this.

      I'm tired of you coming into arguments and making shit up.

      There IS TONS of research to suggest this and there HAVE been people who lost their sensitivity because of it.

      Furthermore, what reason IS there TO do it? Can you give me even one?

      No, you can't because you're arguing for status quo and not from any sense of personal belief.

      You just run around and spout nonsense and then whip out the agenda fallacy whenever you don't agree or anyone proves you wrong.

    • 3 years ago
  • nata0204
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