tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356114186987252972.post2055242102402235139..comments2024-03-28T22:09:54.924-04:00Comments on The Closet Professor: African circumcisionJoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05299122685163501819noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356114186987252972.post-61364979824411379742010-09-29T23:22:41.820-04:002010-09-29T23:22:41.820-04:00AEK, you are absolutely right. There is no eviden...AEK, you are absolutely right. There is no evidence that circumcision will help guard against the spread of STIs in men outside of Africa or of gay men. Thanks for you valuable contribution to this post.<br /><br />BTW, I am in no way an advocate of circumcision. Though I was circumcised without my consent shortly after birth, I think it is a barbaric and largely unnecessary procedure.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05299122685163501819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356114186987252972.post-49204647465901573822010-09-28T23:15:18.161-04:002010-09-28T23:15:18.161-04:00Unmentioned is the great potential for infection a...Unmentioned is the great potential for infection and the ramifications of infections in the third world as a result of the circumcision methods practiced in Africa. In South Africa, dozens to hundreds of teen boys die from this initiation ritual each year. It usually isn't the same as the ones done in the hospitals.<br /><br />The 3 large HIV studies done in Africa haven't been reproduced in the West, and studies have suggested that it wouldn't impact the MSM population - which is the population most at risk of HIV in the West, not heterosexuals. It stands to reason that circumcision would have limited, if any, effect on slowing HIV rates outside of Africa.<br /><br />As it is, it's still quite a controversial procedure. There are few surgical procedures that're done on healthy and non-diseased tissues. To advocate the procedure on infants who're unable to consent would be unethical. It's curious how proxy consent (via parents) is even allowed for this.<br /><br />In regards to lowering one's chances of herpes and HPV, that study wasn't done specifically looking at those infections, but rather collected as an aside of sorts during the HIV trial - so to rely on that data can be questionable. Besides, there's a vaccine now for HPV that does work in men. That vaccine is far more effective at reducing HPV infections than circumcision.<br /><br />In the past there have been numerous studies that either support or refute circumcision's role in reducing STIs and such. It's likely only a matter of time before another paper comes out to refute this most recent body of literature.Aekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12183623849361560922noreply@blogger.com