Circumcision News and Research

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Male circumcision may help prevent human papillomavirus infection

Two new studies suggest that male circumcision may assist in the prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, particularly infection with the high-risk subtypes associated with cervical, penile, and other cancers.

17 Dec 2008

Circumcision reduces risk of HIV infection in heterosexual men

A new U.S. study has found that being circumcised significantly reduced the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual African American men known to have been exposed to the virus.

17 Dec 2008

20th anniversary of World AIDS day - experts say universal, voluntary testing could reduce new HIV cases by 95%

December the 1st 2008 marked the 20th anniversary of World AIDS day - a day when people around the world take stock of the AIDS situation and consider those who have died from the disease and those who are struggling to live with it.

1 Dec 2008

Universal voluntary testing, immediate treatment can reduce new HIV cases by 95% within 10 years

Universal and annual voluntary testing followed by immediate antiretroviral therapy treatment (irrespective of clinical stage or CD4 count) can reduce new HIV cases by 95% within 10 years, according to new findings based on a mathematical model developed by a group of HIV specialists in WHO.

26 Nov 2008

Leaders of Kenya's Luo ethnic group embrace male circumcision after meeting with medical experts, lawmakers

An advisory board made up of Luo leaders from the Nyanza region of Kenya on Monday gave their support for a voluntary medical male circumcision program, a decision that Kenyan officials say is a significant step in the region's fight against HIV/AIDS, Kenya's Daily Nation reports.

29 Sep 2008

IRIN/PlusNews examines issues surrounding male circumcision in Kenya's Luo community

Kenya's plan to launch a male circumcision campaign in the province of Nyanza in late September to curb the spread of HIV is facing difficulties from some members of the Luo community, IRIN/PlusNews reports.

16 Sep 2008

More training, improved tools needed for African health workers performing male circumcisions, study finds

African health workers performing male circumcision in an effort to curb the spread of HIV need better tools and more training to avoid high rates of complications, according to a World Health Organization study published Monday in the WHO Bulletin, Reuters Health reports.

4 Sep 2008

Experts say male circumcision the key to beating AIDS

Experts say while no cure or vaccine for AIDS exists male circumcision could be the key to driving the epidemic into a declining state and closer to extinction.

5 Aug 2008

ShangRing - innovative circumcision device

With the recent endorsement by the World Health Organization (WHO) and scientists worldwide of adult male circumcision as an important strategy for HIV prevention, there is increased urgency to develop safe and cost-effective circumcision services. This is especially the case in Africa where HIV/AIDS continues to spread at an epidemic rate.

4 Aug 2008

HIV in Kenya - 7.8% increase in 2007

HIV prevalence in Kenya increased to 7.8% in 2007, a slight increase from the 6.7% prevalence recorded in 2003, according to a survey released by the government on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports. According to the Associated Press, the increase in the percentage of the population living with HIV likely is because of wider access to antiretroviral drugs.

3 Aug 2008

NIAID will not conduct the PAVE 100 HIV vaccine study

After soliciting and considering broad input from the scientific and HIV advocacy communities, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has determined that it will not conduct the HIV vaccine study known as PAVE 100.

17 Jul 2008

Antiretroviral therapy as an aid to HIV prevention

The widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy may reduce the incidence of HIV in individuals and populations but has been overlooked by public health as a prevention strategy, write Dr. Julio Montaner and colleagues in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

30 Jun 2008

New HIV/AIDS threat in India found among youth working at call centers

Unprotected sex with multiple partners among young staff in India's call centers has emerged as a new HIV/AIDS threat in the country, Suniti Solomon, the researcher who detected the first HIV case in India in 1986, told the International Congress on Infectious Diseases on Saturday, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports.

24 Jun 2008

Religious, cultural issues affecting efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, U.N. report says

Inter Press Service recently examined a report released by the United Nations Commission on HIV/AIDS and Governance in Africa last week at the U.N. 2008 High Level Meeting on AIDS.

17 Jun 2008

Speakers at second HIV/AIDS implementers' meeting in Uganda call for increased accountability of funding

Donor organizations on Wednesday at the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers' Meeting in Kampala, Uganda, called for increased accountability for funds provided to governments to fight the spread of the disease, Xinhua/China View reports.

8 Jun 2008

Living condom gives protection from AIDS

Scientists in Australia have developed a natural condom which could prevent the spread of AIDS.

5 Jun 2008

One million people gained access to antiretrovirals in 2007

About one million people in developing countries gained access to antiretroviral drugs in 2007, according to a report released on Monday by UNAIDS, UNICEF and the World Health Organization, the New York Times reports (Dugger, New York Times, 6/3).

3 Jun 2008

3 million now receiving anti-retroviral therapy HIV drugs

The close of 2007 marks an important step in the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Nearly 3 million people are now receiving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) in low- and middle-income countries, according to a new report jointly launched today by WHO, UNAIDS and UNICEF.

2 Jun 2008

Researcher addresses calls for increased focus on male circumcision, partner reduction programs as part of HIV prevention in Africa

NPR's "News & Notes" on Tuesday included a discussion with Daniel Halperin, a senior research scientist in the Department of Population and International Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, about a recent study that recommended a shift in HIV prevention strategies in Africa toward the promotion of male circumcision and partner reduction programs.

30 May 2008

Male circumcision in Kenya following political violence

The AP/International Herald Tribune on Friday examined male circumcision in Kenya in the wake of the disputed December 2007 presidential election that resulted in political violence.

28 May 2008