Circumcision protects men from HIV infection, according to latest studies. The procedure is known to reduce the risk by at least half, and now scientists provided support for this theory, explaining that removing of the foreskin deprives bacteria of a place to live.
Dr. Cindy Liu, a pathologist at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Flagstaff, Ariz and her colleagues published a paper in the journal mBio, explaining how circumcision affects the chances for HIV infection in men. The study looked at 5,000 men aged 15 to 49 in Uganda – half of them were circumcised, the other half were not. A year after the surgery, the reduction in bacterial mass in circumcised men was averagely 81 percent, which was described as dramatic change.
The participants, who underwent surgery, had between 50 and 60 percent less chance to get infected with HIV. Liu, the study leading author explained that the foreskin is in fact a great home for genital bacteria. And after it is cut away, the home is gone, so the bacteria that once lived beneath it disappear. As a result, the immune system is left in far better condition and is able to protect men from the human immunodeficiency virus. The study also found that men who underwent the procedure had also lowered chances for other infections such as HPV, or human papillomavirus which can cause cervical cancer when contracted by women, and genital herpes.
The issue about circumcision is very contradictory in many parts of the world, and although it is known to has some risks, doctors say the health benefits are significantly more. The connection between the procedure and the lowered risk for infections, including the global killer, HIV, needs more scientific research. But all doctors agree that whatever the reason, circumcised men have less chance to get the disease and also to spread it, which is also very dangerous.
