Circumcision could help prevent AIDS

[greenie_breizh]

And just when I thought I wouldn't want my son circumsied, apparently circumcision reduces the risk to be infected by AIDS. (An article on the topic in French hereThe article from National Geographic is better since it provides more details on why : "The reason for the increased risk of infection, experts say, is because the foreskin of the penis

Comments

[roniabirk]

My first reaction? So, the very little amount of research they did on the HPV vaccine was enough for some in government to enforce it for young girls, but the equally(?) small amount of research into HIV and foreskin doesn't encourage them to mandate circumcisions? Aw, come on! (Only kind of joking.)

[greenie_breizh]

I'm really not clear on the HPV vaccine - but I know I'd definitely more readily have my kids have a shot than cut any part of their body... that said, I'm really not into the whole "let's give our kids shots for everything".

[roniabirk]

*L* Yeah, that was just a knee jerk reaction to what I viewed as a "It affects girls, let's do it!" versuse "It affects boys. Well, hang on a bit longer, okay?"

They aren't truly comparable situations. Similar is some regards, but not more than that.

[gabby_silang]

I'm wary of any theory that says cutting off bits of people is medically sound.

[greenie_breizh]

Agreed. The simple theory of it bothers me, but on top of it, to think of all the ways it can go wrong if you don't have the right medical environment? BAD idea.

[shiraz_wine]

The reduction in risk is really small and only applies if the guy is having unprotected sex. If he's wearing a condom, it doesn't really matter.

[themegs]

We just said the same thing at the exact same minute. hee

[greenie_breizh]

Absolutely. They're looking at an environment where condoms aren't as readily available as they're in France or the US, though. Not that it's not extremely ironic (and sort of sad) to get to the point where circumcision might prevent the disease to spread more than condoms but it's so fucking EASY to put a condom on. It's one of the biggest failure of us as a group, the condom thing, I think.

[themegs]

I'm very much against circumcision. While what they're saying here makes sense, it's dealing with sex without a condom, which I'm also very much against. There's much more out there than HIV. So chop off the foreskin because there's a slight chance it reduces the risk of HIV transmission, but I'm still not going to stop pounding it into my child's head that he needs to wear a condom.

[greenie_breizh]

I'm not especially pro- or anti- circumcision, though I absolutely lean towards the anti. Cutting off a perfectly lovely bit of skin (that can give you added pleasure!)? Not cool in my book.

And you're absolutely right, condoms are and remain necessary, for so.many.reasons.

But I think also the environment this study is dealing with (the African continent) is very different from our own realities. It would just be extremely sad to think circumcision could help more than condoms.

[themegs]

That's true. I wasn't thinking of it in that context.

[littlegothsin]

Er... sure but aren't condoms even more efficient to decrease the risks ?

[greenie_breizh]

Confirmed. ;)

I hope no one in their right mind would suggest circumcision could replace condoms but er, NO.