Efforts to circumcise African males on a grand scale have likely already averted thousands new HIV cases in Kenya, according to mathematical modeling estimates, MedPage Today reports.

Major studies published about a decade ago estimated that voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) cuts in half men’s risk of acquiring HIV from vaginal sex. In response, efforts to promote VMMC for HIV prevention in Kenya began in 2008.

Researchers analyzed the results of three mathematical programs that estimated the circumcision program’s impact on HIV rates. They presented their findings at the HIV Research for Prevention conference in Chicago.

The three models yielded similar estimates, finding that the VMMC program had prevented 21,000 to 33,000 HIV transmissions between 2008 and 2015. They also estimated that by 2030, the program would prevent 80,000 to 160,000 new infections.

To read the MedPage Today article, click here.