Surprise! Circumcision isn't working to prevent HIV in Africa

[Papai]

A survey in Kenya has just confirmed what intactivists and other people have been saying all along: Circumcision doesn't prevent HIV.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/663870/-/uneiet/-/

As thousands of young men in Nyanza Province troop to health centres to be circumcised in hopes of fending off HIV, new studies show it might be too early to claim victory. Although circumcision has been touted as one of the ways to prevent HIV infection, recent findings show an increase in HIV infection in regions where most males are circumcised.

According to findings of the Kenya Aids Indicator Survey (Kais) released last week, North Eastern and Coast provinces, where 97 per cent of males are circumcised, registered an increase in HIV prevalence.

Within a span of five years, HIV prevalence in North Eastern and Coast provinces increased from 0 to 1.0 per cent and from 5.8 per cent to 8.3 per cent respectively. In the same period, HIV prevalence in Nyanza Province, where about 48 per cent of males are circumcised, stood at 15 per cent, the highest in the country.

[RiverSky]

What a crappy experiment...

[fruitful womb]

Originally Posted by RiverSky

What a crappy experiment...

I agree!

I knew this would happen.

just wait till the Africans get pissy and lash out for revenge! I'd be furious to learn that I was just a lab rat only to be disposed of in a silent genocide...

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I wonder if this new information will make the news at all. The news was all over it when they said it would prevent now that they know it wont I bet they wont be so fast to talk about it.

[kxsiven]

Duh - another example how use of common sense would have saved lots of money and lives.

Someone should inform Bill Gates - hasn't he given tons of money for circ?

[ErinsJuneBug]

this is crazy! Who is still funding this project? When 98% of the male population are circ'd - and HIV has only increased, then obviously opening more circ clinics is NOT the answer!

[beru]

I am going to play devil's advocate and refer to this quote from the article:
"Within a span of five years, HIV prevalence in North Eastern and Coast provinces increased from 0 to 1.0 per cent and from 5.8 per cent to 8.3 per cent respectively. In the same period, HIV prevalence in Nyanza Province, where about 48 per cent of males are circumcised, stood at 15 per cent, the highest in the country."

Procircumcisers can point to these data and say the prevalence of HIV infection is 2 to 3 times higher in the province with low circumcision rates. And perhaps, without circumcision, the increase in HIV prevalence in North Eastern and Coast provinces would have been greater over the 5 year span.

Of course, I don't believe this. I just wanted to point out that this article won't be convincing Bill Gates to withdraw funding from his inane circumcison campaign.

[phatchristy]

We all predicted this long ago...remember those articles that we saw that told about how circucmision was being called "the invisible condom" in Africa.

It's just scarry stuff what they are doing. Teach what is PROVEN to work people. And, teach only what is proven to work. Don't take a group of uneducated/misinformed people and give them mixed signals...which in this case is a death sentence.

Though, we already know, where circumcision and the west--there's no logic sometimes.

[bandgeek]

I'm glad they are finally reporting this, because we all knew it would happen eventually...but it's so SAD!!! Live ruined and lost and it all could have been prevented by supplying condoms and education.

[Dev]

Originally Posted by phatchristy

.......... It's just scary stuff what they are doing. Teach what is PROVEN to work people. And, teach only what is proven to work. Don't take a group of uneducated/misinformed people and give them mixed signals...which in this case is a death sentence.

I am optimistic that eventually (hopefully sooner rather than later) the African people will realize that "safe sexual practices" prevents HIV/aids and that circumcision is unnecessary. As more and more Circumcised African males become educated on the necessity of safe sex practices and use them, their HIV infection rates will go down. This eventual downward trend will be hailed by circumcision advocates as proof circumcision works, yet in reality safe sexual practices which includes consistent condom use, is the driving force behind lowering HIV infection rates. We intactivists have a long fight ahead of us.

[Papai]

Originally Posted by beru

I am going to play devil's advocate and refer to this quote from the article:
"Within a span of five years, HIV prevalence in North Eastern and Coast provinces increased from 0 to 1.0 per cent and from 5.8 per cent to 8.3 per cent respectively. In the same period, HIV prevalence in Nyanza Province, where about 48 per cent of males are circumcised, stood at 15 per cent, the highest in the country."

Procircumcisers can point to these data and say the prevalence of HIV infection is 2 to 3 times higher in the province with low circumcision rates. And perhaps, without circumcision, the increase in HIV prevalence in North Eastern and Coast provinces would have been greater over the 5 year span.

Of course, I don't believe this. I just wanted to point out that this article won't be convincing Bill Gates to withdraw funding from his inane circumcison campaign.

I noticed that in the article as well. It's also curious that the US CDC has a branch in Kenya....

But I came across this article about the KAIS survey:

http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=86277

Prevalence among people aged between 50 and 60 is 5 percent, compared with a national average of 7.1 percent; previous studies had not measured HIV among people over 49.

"We have now to start driving HIV and AIDS messages and campaigns that target the older population because these findings reveal that they are actually at risk of contracting HIV," said Ibrahim Mohamed, director of the National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infection Control Programme (NASCOP).

How much of the increased infection rate among intact men is from older men who are now for the first time being included in the research?

There are so many variables bouncing around that singling out the foreskin as a sole risk factor is nearly impossible. But that's to pro-circers benefit, because all they have to do is try to associate a correlation with prevention and bingo, they've got a platform to stand on.

[Papai]

Also, beru, the article says that the HIV infection rate stood at 15 percent in the Nyanza, which I take to mean that it didn't increase. Meanwhile, in the Northern and Eastern regions, the infection rate is rising at a rapid pace. With that kind of growth in infection year by year, in a few years the prevalence rate in those regions will likely bypass the Nyanza province. What will that mean for the pro-circers argument then?

[Noelle C.]

It is so extremely irresponsible of governments to claim that this will protect someone against HIV. Get people to believe that this will protect against the worst of what can happen, and people will think it will protect them against all that can happen. More babies, etc., from the additional promiscuity now that people think they're protected. Why are this world's governments so against condoms when there's already so much starvation and death?

[PuppyFluffer]

What concerns me even more is that men who have been circumcised as adults in a (misguided) effort to avoid HIV infection - will NOT use condoms because of the loss of sensation. (Loss of sexual sensation is an inevitable result of circ due to exposing what was once internal mucousal tissue to the outside world. The skin callouses or keritinizes.) They won't want to lose any more feeling by wearing a condom.

[phatchristy]

Plus, we must not forget that those studies only 'claimed' to show a protective effect for female to male transmission (which is already rather low as it is). Not only is there no protective effect for male to female transmission but in fact male circumcision has been shown to increase the rate of male to female transmission!

So, it's not surprising considering...

[serendipity22]

on http://www.circumstitions.com/HIV.html

there is a chart:
Where circumcision doesn't prevent AIDS

i think stats involving entire countries can be more valuable than studies of a few thousand.

In Africa, there are countries that are:

high circ, high HIV
high circ, low HIV
low circ, high HIV
low circ, low hiv

I cannot see any connection between circ and hiv in the table.

[Greg B]

Let's see, if they get circ'd, they have to use a condom etc to protect themselves from HIV.

If they keep their foreskin, they have to use a condom etc to protect themselves from HIV.

And if they get cric'd, they lose a lot of feeling, making it less likely they will be willing to use a condom...

Gee, I do not understand, why is getting circ'd a good idea?

It is amazing how these people think who promote circumcision to reduce HIV. Obviously they can't deal with too many issues all at once. Hope they don't try walking while they chew gum...

Cheers!