CHICAGO, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Circumcision significantly reduces the risk of acquiring HIV in young African men, a study from the University of Chicago found.
Researchers followed 2,784 young men from Kisumu, Kenya, circumcising half of them. Forty-seven of the 1,391 uncircumcised men contracted HIV, compared to 22 of the 1,393 uncircumcised men.
"Our study shows that circumcised men had 53 percent fewer HIV infections than uncircumcised men," said Robert Bailey, an epidemiology professor. "We now have very concrete evidence that a relatively simple surgical procedure can have a very large impact on HIV."
Bailey cautioned that circumcised men might engage in risky behavior, feeling that they are protected from HIV.
"Circumcision is by no means a natural condom," said Bailey. "We do know that some circumcised men become infected with HIV. But we did find that the circumcised men in our study did not increase their risk behaviors after circumcision. In fact, all men in the trial increased their condom use and reduced their number of sexual partners."
The study appears in the Feb. 24 issue of The Lancet.
