July 27, 2005

Nip the Tip in Africa?

Thursday, July 28, 2005—Also wowing AIDS scientists and advocates at IAS in Brazil, the ancient art of circumcision showed revolutionary promise in protecting against HIV infection. In a study of 3,000 heterosexual men in South Africa, the half making the cut lowered their chances of getting HIV from female sex partners by 65%. This is not the first study to make this claim—the cells of the foreskin appear to be especially vulnerable to the virus—and more trials are underway elsewhere in Africa. But with the numbers so compelling, the data beg certain questions: How exactly do you crank out surgery as a massive public-health strategy? And is circumcision any easier to navigate around cultural sensitivities than condoms? Still, a simple, cheap and (relatively!) painless prevention option just might turn around the epidemic in Africa.