Circumcision News and Research

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USA Today examines recent HIV breakthroughs

USA Today examines several scientific breakthroughs that researchers say "could be key to reducing new HIV infections." "Doctors are hopeful not because of a single discovery, but because of a string of breakthroughs over the past two or three years, says Diane Havlir, a professor at the University of California-San Francisco," the news service writes.

19 Jul 2012

Combination prevention strategy trials to start later this year in Africa, GlobalPost reports

As part of its "AIDS Turning Point" series, GlobalPost examines how the United States and its African partners are designing clinical trials at four African sites to test whether a combination of prevention methods and strategies -- "notably the vaccine-like preventative effect on transmission when someone starts taking AIDS drugs, as well as the life-long protection afforded to many due to male circumcision" -- could "put them on the road to a Holy Grail: the numbers of HIV infections tumbling down."

18 Jul 2012

Drug treatments, scientific advances fuel hope for HIV control as AIDS 2012 conference draws near

"A cure for AIDS remains a distant prospect but a host of drug treatments and other advances have fueled fresh hope that new HIV infections may someday be halted for good," Agence France-Presse reports.

17 Jul 2012

GlobalPost examines adult male circumcision campaign in Swaziland

Noting "the United States wants to accelerate the pace of male circumcisions to support 4.7 million procedures in the developing world by the end of next year, up from one million at the beginning of this year," GlobalPost, as part of its AIDS Turning Point special report, examines the adult male circumcision campaign in Swaziland.

6 Jul 2012

Gates Foundation blog highlights work of CDC Kenya

In this post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, editor Amie Newman, a communications officer at the foundation, highlights the work of "two HIV home-visit health workers who work with the CDC Kenya (Centers for Disease Control) to visit with a family in a remote area in the Nyanza province."

27 Jun 2012

U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator discusses lessons learned from U.S. response to HIV/AIDS worldwide

U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby "discussed lessons learned from the U.S. response to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic over the past decade at an event hosted by the Brookings Institute Monday morning," the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog reports.

27 Jun 2012

Link between bacterial vaginosis and female-to-male HIV transmission risk

An investigation led by UCSF has found that the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission is increased three fold for women with bacterial vaginosis, a common disorder in which the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina is disrupted.

27 Jun 2012

Infants, children ‘susceptible to acetaminophen overdose’

Acute acetaminophen overdose is the most common identifiable cause of acute liver failure in children, warn researchers in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

6 Jun 2012

Pre-exposure preventive treatment may be effective against suspected HIV

While immediate postexposure treatment for suspected HIV is critical, pre-exposure preventive treatment is a newer method that may be effective for people in high-risk groups, states a review of evidence published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

29 May 2012

IAS’ XIX International AIDS Conference to take place in Washington D.C.

This summer, more than 25,000 leading scientists, public health experts, policy-makers, community members, and experts in the HIV/AIDS field from around the world will gather in our nation's capital for the International AIDS Society's XIX International AIDS Conference.

19 May 2012

Microbiome of young men depends upon circumcision status, patterns of sexual activity

The first study using cultivation independent sequencing of the microorganisms in the adolescent male urinary tract has revealed that the composition of microbial communities colonizing the penis in young men depends upon their circumcision status and patterns of sexual activity.

15 May 2012

National program in Botswana focuses on increasing male circumcision rate

Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe all have launched national campaigns urging men to undergo circumcision to help reduce their risk of contracting or transmitting HIV infection, but "all the countries are lagging far behind their targets," Agence France-Presse reports in an article focusing on efforts in Botswana.

14 May 2012

Option for couples to test together, access ART for prevention can reduce HIV risk

"If we don't leverage the power of innovation to transform how health services are provided and utilized, efforts to stop new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths can reach a stalemate," UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe writes in this opinion piece in the Huffington Post's "Healthy Living" blog.

9 May 2012

Goosby calls for 'extraordinary resources' to be put into male circumcision to prevent HIV infection

Male circumcision is "a highly significant, lifetime intervention" to prevent HIV infection that deserves "extraordinary resources," U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby on Monday told a meeting of 400 army officials from 80 countries in Africa, Eastern Europe and central Asia, Agence France-Presse reports.

9 May 2012

International Microbicides Conference 2012 concludes

The conclusion of the 2012 International Microbicides Conference, a gathering of researchers, advocates and funders in the HIV prevention field, wrapped up three days of discussion focused on access to prevention technologies, adherence in clinical trials, innovative financing, dual prevention technologies and new methods of preventing rectal transmission of HIV.

26 Apr 2012

Allowing countries to use PEPFAR funding for voluntary contraception for women aligns with GHI's 'women-centered' approach

"PEPFAR has said it will use" nearly $1.5 billion in unspent aid "to invest in commodities (condoms, HIV rapid test kits and voluntary medical male circumcision kits), systems and institutions, and program strengthening," Suzanne Ehlers, president of Population Action International, writes in this post in the Huffington Post's "Impact" blog.

26 Apr 2012

Thousands of women in UK undergo genital mutilation each year: Report

Reports suggest that nearly 100,000 women in Britain have undergone female genital mutilations. Even medics in the UK are offering to carry out the illegal procedure on girls as young as 10.

23 Apr 2012

New wiki of medical devices designed for resource-limited settings

In parts of the world without reliable electricity, a pedal-powered nebulizer could provide life-saving asthma treatments. Small wax-filled sleeping bags could keep premature infants warm. A salad spinner centrifuge for blood samples could help clinicians diagnose anemia.

20 Apr 2012

Daily Monitor analysis examines history of male circumcision debate

In this Daily Monitor analysis, Joseph Matovu, Rhoda Wanyenze and David Serwadda, all lecturers at Makerere University School of Public Health in Kampala, Uganda, respond to two articles related to male circumcision that were published in the Daily Monitor in March.

16 Apr 2012

Guardian examines Swaziland's HIV epidemic

The Guardian examines the HIV epidemic in Swaziland, writing, "While neighboring countries have made inroads against the disease, the mountain kingdom of one million people continues to suffer setbacks, partly due to cultural norms around sexuality being exacerbated by a financial crisis." According to the news service, Swaziland has "the highest HIV rate in the world, with more than one in four adults estimated to be carrying the virus."

12 Apr 2012