Circumcision Helps Prevent HIV Infection

The March 27, 2004 issue of the Lancet (subscription required) is reporting that circumcision helps prevent HIV infection. Heretofore, while non-circumcision was a risk factor it wasn't clear whether the underlying issue was behavioral or biological. The study declares that the cause appears to be biological and thus a true risk factor. From Lancet's Talking Points:

A snip in the right direction

'Effective HIV prevention strategies . . . are urgently needed to combat the current HIV pandemic'

Circumcised men have a lower risk of HIV-1 infection than uncircumcised men. Several hypotheses to account for this effect have been proposed--eg, some investigators have argued that circumcision is an epidemiological marker of reduced behaviours related to risk of HIV-1 infection, while others suggest that it reduces the risk of HIV-1 by removing a possible entry point of the virus. Steven Reynolds and co-workers did a prospective study to further investigate the association between circumcision and infection with HIV-1 and other sexually transmitted infections. They found that circumcision was strongly protective against HIV-1 infection but not herpes simplex virus type 2, syphilis, or gonorrhoea. The authors suggest that the specificity of this relation is attributable to a biological rather than behavioural effect of male circumcision against HIV-1.

The abstract of the study:

Male circumcision and risk of HIV-1 and other sexually transmitted infections in India

Steven J Reynolds, Mary E Shepherd, Arun R Risbud, Raman R Gangakhedkar, Ronald S Brookmeyer, Anand D Divekar, Sanjay M Mehendale, Robert C Bollinger

Circumcised men have a lower risk of HIV-1 infection than uncircumcised men. Laboratory findings suggest that the foreskin is enriched with HIV-1 target cells. However, some data suggest that circumcision could simply be a marker for low-risk behaviours. In a prospective study of 2298 HIV-uninfected men attending sexually transmitted infection clinics in India, we noted that circumcision was strongly protective against HIV-1 infection (adjusted relative risk 0·15; 95% CI 0·04-0·62; p=0·0089); however, we noted no protective effect against herpes simplex virus type 2, syphilis, or gonorrhoea. The specificity of this relation suggests a biological rather than behavioural explanation for the protective effect of male circumcision against HIV-1.

Lancet 2004; 363: 1039-40

Comments

[Rev. Ian Brumberger]

The Defense of Circumcision Act (DOCA)

I would like to suggest new legislation for the purpose of protecting and preserving the sanctity of circumcision.

Traditionally, circumcision has been a sacred institution honoring the covenant between God and the Children of Abraham set forth in Genesis 17.

Only recently, gentiles began emulating the motions and mechanics of circumcision, but violating its sanctity by conducting it without religious ritual, on non-Jews, in secular, medical contexts.

The act of circumcision was defined thousands of years ago as a sacred rite performed upon a Jewish child, for the purpose of sanctifying a man before God. This is older even than the tradition of limiting “traditional Judeo-Christian Marriage” to one man and one woman.

To reduce circumcision to a mere clinical procedure, requiring only a scalpel and some Betadine, is a mockery of Judaism and of God Himself.

Furthermore, The Bible and millennia of tradition explicitly forbid duplicating the act of circumcision, without ritual, upon non-believers:

"Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more" (Deut. 10:16).

"Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My wrath go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds" (Jer. 4:4).

And not just in The Bible, but in The New Testament as well:

"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God" (Rom 2:28-29).

I remind you, this tradition is even older than the tradition of marriage between one man and one woman. It is not only older than marriage, but in Jewish law it is a prerequisite to marriage. Without the sacred ritual of circumcision to sanctify a man before God, marriage itself is not sacred.

And above all, we must preserve the sanctity of marriage.

Therefore, I ask that the state recognize this millennia old definition of circumcision. We must amend our constitution to officially define circumcision as a privilege reserved solely for Jews to sanctify themselves before God. We must forbid non-Jews from changing and corrupting the definition of circumcision, and by extension, the institution of marriage upon which our civilization depends.

We need to lobby our legislators to put this amendment before the citizens for a vote as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Rev. Ian Brumberger
http://www.imwithstupid.org

[DaveyBoy]

Using condoms also help reduce risk of catching HIV. If you have ever thought to get an HIV test, you probably have been at risk!

Come see my personal blog about my HIV/AIDS experience.

[DaveyBoy]

It is funny that circumcision is a helper in fighting HIV. Has something to do with less dirt gathering under the foreskin, less infections, less skin breakage...

SOME POZ BLOGS:

http://HIV-AIDS.Blog-City.com
http://www.HIV-AIDS-POZ.com/Blog/
http://www.HIVforum.com/Blogs/

[Get a Grip Man]

Why not just shower once a day instead of mutilating yourself?

[Get a Grip Man]

Circumcision causes herpes in babies.

Breaking News
Officials fear babies contracted herpes during circumcisions
Wednesday, February 2, 2005 Posted: 8:06 AM EST (1306 GMT) on CNN.com
NEW YORK (AP) -- City health officials are investigating the death of a baby boy who was one of three infants to contract herpes after a rabbi circumcised them.

Ten days after Rabbi Yitzhok Fischer performed religious circumcisions on twins last October, one died of herpes and the other tested positive for the virus, according to complaint filed by the health department in Manhattan Supreme Court.

The complaint, reported in Wednesday's edition of the New York Daily News, also said health officials later found a third baby who had contracted herpes after being circumcised by Fischer in late 2003.

Under Jewish law, a mohel -- someone who performs circumcisions -- draws blood from the circumcision wound. Most mohels do it by hand, but Fischer uses a rare practice where he uses his mouth.

Fischer's lawyer, Mark Kurzmann, told the Daily News that Fischer was cooperating with the investigation, although it's unclear whether Fischer submitted to the city's request for a blood test.

"My client is known internationally as a caring, skilled, and conscientious mohel," Kurzmann said.

http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/

[Herpes Virus]

Well, I htink using condoms is more sound than circumcision. Plus, it strongly depends on the state of your immune system. Actually, most people have herpes, however if may circulate in the blood and never appear...