Geneva, Switzerland (AHN) - United
Nations health agencies said on Wednesday that circumcision reduces the
risk of HIV by up to 60 percent in heterosexual men and recommended
that they undergo the procedure.
However,
the World Health Organization and UNAIDS also warned that circumcision
should not be the only measure to prevent HIV - people should follow
other measures like the use of male and female condoms, abstinence,
delaying the start of sexual activity and monogamy.
AP
quotes Catherine Hankins of UNAIDS as saying, "We must be clear. Male
circumcision does not provide complete protection against HIV."
Experts
have warned that men who resume sex before their circumcision wound has
healed are at a higher risk of being infected with HIV.
They further added that an HIV-positive man can more easily pass the disease on to his partner if the wound is still unhealed.
Experts based their results on three trials in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa.
"Based
on the evidence presented, which was considered to be compelling,
experts attending the consultation recommended that male circumcision
now be recognized as an additional important intervention to reduce the
risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men," a joint
statement said.
However, they
also cautioned that further study is needed to determine whether male
circumcision will cut the transmission of HIV to women and if it will
reduce HIV infection in homosexual intercourse.
