Circumcision
Provides Little HIV Protection for Gays

Circumcision, which has been shown to reduce heterosexual men's risk of contracting HIV, does not have the same effect for gays, a new study indicates.

Circumcised men were 14% less likely to be infected with HIV than those who were uncircumcised, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of more than 53,000 gay and bisexual men in eight countries.

The study's authors wrote that circumcision is "not statistically significant" protection from HIV for men who have sex with men. "Overall, we're not finding a protective effect associated with circumcision for gay and bisexual men," the CDC's Gregorio A. Millett said.

The full results of the study appear in the October 8 Journal of the American Medical Association. (Michelle Garcia, The Advocate)