Do they recommend it now?

[BlessedMommy2006]

I read somewhere that the WHO and UNAIDS recommend circ as an HIV/AIDS preventative measure. What??

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/.../en/index.html
http://www.newscientist.com/article....ine-news_rss20
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070328/...s_circumcision

Does anyone know about this? I've been telling people that no medical organization recommends it. I want to make sure that my facts are straight! Have they ever recommended it? Have they changed back to not recommending it?

What's the status?

(Please note: I'm very against circ, no matter who does or doesn't recommend it. I'm just trying to make sure that I'm portraying accurate information to others when I share)

[benj]

Originally Posted by BlessedMommy2006

I read somewhere that the WHO and UNAIDS recommend circ as an HIV/AIDS preventative measure. What?? http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/.../en/index.html http://www.newscientist.com/article....ine-news_rss20 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070328/...s_circumcision Does anyone know about this? I've been telling people that no medical organization recommends it. I want to make sure that my facts are straight! Have they ever recommended it? Have they changed back to not recommending it? What's the status? (Please note: I'm very against circ, no matter who does or doesn't recommend it. I'm just trying to make sure that I'm portraying accurate information to others when I share)

I don't know. But I really think that sends a horrible message. It literally translates to "you can't get HIV if you are circumcised." Is that truly the direction we want to be going in?

[Fellow Traveler]

Unfortunay, the WHO and UNAIDS are recommending that countries with high prevalence consider a circumcision program. That means mostly subsaharen Africa. That recommendation doesn't apply to countries with low prevalence or where it is confine to certian groups. I'll provide a link later if you need it.

[nd_deadhead]

Here's an article I saw yesterday, about the dropping rate of HIV among South African teenagers. The decrease is completely attributed to increased use of condoms.

http://www.midco.net/news/read.php?i...&cps=0&lang=en

[benj]

Originally Posted by Fellow Traveler

Unfortunay, the WHO and UNAIDS are recommending that countries with high prevalence consider a circumcision program. That means mostly subsaharen Africa. That recommendation doesn't apply to countries with low prevalence or where it is confine to certian groups. I'll provide a link later if you need it.

I wonder if, hypothetically, when they get all the males in Sub saharan Africa circumcised what they will do about the AIDS problem that will still exist. I do not think circumcision is a very practical solution.

[benj]

Originally Posted by nd_deadhead

Here's an article I saw yesterday, about the dropping rate of HIV among South African teenagers. The decrease is completely attributed to increased use of condoms. http://www.midco.net/news/read.php?i...&cps=0&lang=en

Condoms are definitely a more practical solution. Of course, South Africa is more developed. I think access to education and healthcare would impact the AIDS situation in Africa more than unnecessary surgery.

[glongley]

Relevant and excellent blog post from a journalist working in Cameroon, entitled "Circumcision is a Red Herring."

http://globalhealth.change.org/blog/..._a_red_herring

Gillian

[Bea]

Fellow Traveler posted a thread titled "Some interesting HIV discussions" a few days ago containing a link, this portion of the site caught my attention.

If you have the time, please give it a read, it really is food for thought and ultimately if it's even halfway accurate, all the circumcision or condoms (cause really, who's going to use condoms to prevent HIV in a longterm monogomous realtionship?) are a waste of time.

Access to healthcare in Africa, may be the answer to an enormous part of the problem, but as the problem, not the solution.

http://davidgisselquist.googlepages.com/chapter8

[benj]

Originally Posted by Bea

Access to healthcare in Africa, may be the answer to an enormous part of the problem, but as the problem, not the solution.

The truth is, we have not eliminated HIV in the developed world so eliminating it in Africa is unrealistic. There is a lower prevalence rate in the developed world but this is because we have access to things that they do not and because our entire view of culture, sex and marriage differ. We cannot control people's actions, we can only give them guidance and access.

[glongley]

Originally Posted by BlessedMommy2006

I read somewhere that the WHO and UNAIDS recommend circ as an HIV/AIDS preventative measure. What?? ... I've been telling people that no medical organization recommends it. I want to make sure that my facts are straight!

Big difference between recommending it for adults in high risk situations, and recommending it as a routine procedure for infants.

It is absolutely correct to say that no medical organization in the world recommends routine infant circumcision.

Gillian

[Ron_Low]

Originally Posted by glongley

Big difference between recommending it for adults in high risk situations, and recommending it as a routine procedure for infants.

It is absolutely correct to say that no medical organization in the world recommends routine infant circumcision.

Gillian

Yes.

And it is unassailable to say "No national medical association of doctors endorses routine circumcision." It is debatable whether the desperate ineffective band of politicians at the WHO constitutes a medical organization. Is the Salvation Army a military group? A charity can call itself whatever it wants.