Research on hiv

Scientists have suspected, but there is now adequate evidence to prove, that circumcision reduces a man's chances of contracting the Hiv virus straight through heterosexual feel by a wapping 50 per cent.
The findings, from two large studies conducted recently, offers some real hope that the deadly virus's relentless charge on sub-Saharan Africa can be slowed.

"It does have the possible to preclude many tens of thousands, many hundreds of thousands and maybe millions of infections over advent years," said Dr. Kevin De Cock, director of the World health Organization's branch of Hiv-Aids, on Wednesday after announcing the findings.

Research On Hiv

While these trials only looked at infection rates for men, the hope is that fewer infected men would lead to lower Hiv rates among women as well. A study currently being conducted, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is predicted to shed some light on that examine in the fall of 2008 when the results are revealed.

The two clinical trials, in Kenya and Uganda, were halted prematurely by their primary supporter, the U.S. National produce of Allergy and Infectious Disease, when a chronicle showed adequate conclusive proof that circumcision works to lower the risk of infection.

"While the Hiv-Aids investigate society will continue to strive for a stoppage technique that safely protects everyone all of the time, we are pleased to find a strategy that has the possible to significantly sacrifice new Hiv infections in sub-Saharan Africa," said the institute's director Dr. Anthony Fauci.
The Kenyan study found a 53 per cent discount among circumcised men aged 18 to 24. The Ugandan trial revealed a 48 per cent discount for circumcised men aged 15 to 49.

"There's no real doubt anymore about the magnitude of the result of male circumcision in reducing risks for Hiv acquisition," University of Manitoba's Dr. Stephen Moses said in an interview.

Moses was a joint-investigator in the Kenyan trial, which was partially funded by the Canadian produce of health Research.

These reports confirm an earlier South African study showing a 60 per cent discount in new Hiv cases in circumcised men when compared to uncircumcised. Additionally, they reserve the observations many in Africa have made for years, that infection rates are significantly lower among circumcised men.

Dr. Frank Plummer, director of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, and co-author of the first scientific paper in the New England Journal of treatment in 1986, says these recent trials are a exact step in the right direction.

"I think this proves this can be a major strategy for Hiv reduction," he said from Winnipeg.
As Fauci explained, it's believed a foreskin left intact raises the risk of Hiv infection because it is full of a cell-type called Langerhans, exquisite targets for the virus. Additionally, the delicate mucosal tissue of the foreskin is field to "micro tears," which would allow easy access for the infection.
As promising as these findings are, there are possible pitfalls.

For one, health care systems in Africa are not all equipped to perform medically safe circumcisions on a mass scale.

"The cost of doing that is unlikely to be borne by these mostly poor countries themselves. So it would have to be subsidized from outside, by covering donors," Moses said.

But Dr. Alan Bernstein, the president of the Canadian funding agency, noted that if faced with the selection of funding treatment or prevention, stoppage is the way to go.

"Treatment is extremely high-priced -- the antiretrovirals -- and at the occasion it's only ready to treat a very, very small proportion of individuals, particularly in Africa," Bernstein said. "The best arrival would be prevention."

"If circumcision is as efficient as the trial results suggest, and it's ready now and it no ifs ands or buts is cheap, then it offers, I think, a very marvelous strategy for preventing the spread of this virus everywhere in the world, but particularly in Africa," he concluded.

Fauci, however, also noted that there is a concern that men will rely on circumcision as the estimate one stoppage tool against Hiv and will subsequently let their guards down in other areas of protection, such as the use of condoms.

"It is possible that the 48 to 53 per cent discount in Hiv transmission could be negated by small decreases in condom use, or the increasing of more sexual partners," he said.

Fauci also stated that male circumcision will have no protective impact on injecting drug users or population who have receptive anal intercourse.

De Cock also expressed concerns, citing possible cultural resistance to circumcision in some parts of the globe. Plummer addressed these concerns and said that observations have been made of some

African ethics groups, traditionally against circumcision, have come to the closing themselves that it is beneficial, "and in many incidences have started to get their kids circumcised just on their own."

Circumcision Cuts Hiv Risk in Half New explore Finds

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