Following reports
from a South African study showing that circumcision
can reduce the chances of acquiring HIV through unprotected
sex by 60%, hundreds of men in Swaziland have
undergone the procedure, The Washington Post
reports. Circumcision was extremely rare in the
country, where men considered it to be unmasculine, but
hospitals report performing 10 to 15 circumcisions
each week. Two-month waiting lists for the procedure
are the norm at the country's hospitals, with the
demand driven by adult males who hope to lower their
infection risks. About 40% of adults in the nation are
already HIV-positive, according to the United Nations.
Although studies
to date have focused on whether circumcision can protect
heterosexual men from acquiring HIV through unprotected sex,
some researchers believe the procedure also could be
useful for gay men. Scientists believe uncircumcised
men are at a higher risk of HIV infection because
sexual fluids that can contain HIV can become trapped
under the foreskin of the penis and placed into prolonged
contact with cells in the foreskin that are
particularly susceptible to HIV infection.
(Advocate.com)
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