Is circumcision really the way to fight AIDS in Africa? Is it worth a substantial part of the $15 billion that the Bush admin is throwing its way?
To be honest, I’m a bit mixed on this. On one hand, you have claims that circumcision helps a great deal – “cutting” infection rates by half. Of course, that just means that African men are flipping a coin everytime they dip it. Those still don’t sound like great odds.
Washington Post article
Circumcision has not prevented AIDS in America. But it’s going to be different in Africa?
Here is some inaccurate information:
“The cells in the foreskin of a penis are especially vulnerable to HIV”
Uh, no they aren’t…
http://www.cirp.org/news/healthday2007-03-05/
Also:
“The research reinforces studies showing that regions with high circumcision rates generally have lower rates of HIV.”
Why don’t they show the Brewer Study, published in March 2007, where it was concluded that circumcision in Kenya, Lesotho, and Tanzania actually INCREASES the transmission of AIDS?
That’s right; because it would be devastating to the circumcision cause.
What a waste of (OUR) money. What a waste of surgery. What a waste of healthy tissue. What a waste, period.
And I bet that this will somehow translate into circumcising babies again.
This comic shows exactly how circumcision prevents HIV.
http://www.musiciansunited.org/
Hi Joe, thanks for the comment.
I just sort of threw the post up, so I really didn’t voice my skepticism as loud as I should have. You make a great point — the research really is mixed. It all seems preliminary. I’d like to see a bit more science before devoting part of a $15 billion initiative on it.
It also seems odd that the Administration, which is working so hard to promote abstinence as part of the program, would be so gung-ho about circumcision while they are less enthusiastic about condoms. Is cut more “moral” than covered? I don’t see how that balances out. Condoms work the vast majority of times while circumcision may not work at all.
Thanks for the link. The comic, however, comes off like a Chick tract. Was that the intent?
I noticed that this is not the first time at all that you mention this topic. Why have you decided to write about it again?
I’m not sure what you mean Vince. This is pretty much the first time I’ve ever written about circumcision or about HIV/AIDS in Africa. And, you might note, I posted this entry over a year and a half ago.
What inspired you to comment? I’m curious.
I got to learn to turn off comments on these old entries.