Circumsion and AIDS linked?

Great Debates
1

I don’t really care one way or the other in this debate, but this article looks like it will stir the debate up once again.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/26/health/main609019.shtml

In short, a study done apparently shows that men who are circumsized are between 7 and 9 times LESS like to contract AIDS.

I will ask: What do you feel about this study and it’s implications? Assuming for a moment the study is true, does it make Circumsion a valid medical procedure comparable to say, vaccination?

2

I don’t know what to think about this study. Anyone think it may be uncircumcised men find condoms a bit more uncomfortable? I know before I was cut a condom was not as easy to use or as comfortable as it is now.

3

Just a WAG but I think I can see some validity in these findings. Being uncircumcised myself (and hopefully avoiding TMI) on those oh so very rare occasions :wink: when I have gone a significant period of time between partners the opening of the foreskin seems to shrink a little and the flap of skin connecting the bottom of the penis head to the fore skin seems to “tighten” a bit. Then the next “occasion I rise too” there’s a greater than normal chance for a small tear that may bleed slightly. Now I’m a, ahem, firm believer in safe sex and thus far have been disease free but I can see where even with a condom (rupture rates, permeability etc.) a small open wound could translate in a statistical increase in infection rates.

If my surmise holds any validity it would be interesting to see if there is also a statistical increase in communication rates from an uncircumcised male to a partner. But don’t ask me, I’m still trying to find a way to get a grant to study a cure for hypochondria. :smiley:

4

The third sentence of the Lancet article linked to from CBS reads “some data suggest that circumcision could simply be a marker for low-risk behaviours”.

5

And BTW I consider CBS’ headline to be disgustingly sensationalist.