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Should all boys be circumcised?

(The Independent 19/05/2009)

If you were the parent of a baby boy and were told a minor operation could provide him with protection against three diseases (at least) that kill millions worldwide, would you be interested? It is safe to assume that you would. When, however, you discovered that the operation in question was circumcision, would your enthusiasm dwindle?

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The kindest cut: How circumcision is the secret weapon in the battle against HIV/Aids

(The Independent 01/12/2008)

The medical evidence, from a series of studies, of the protective effect of circumcision has been growing for two decades, but it is only since publication of three randomised trials in Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa in late 2006 that the global health community started to act. The trials were stopped early and all 10,000 men involved offered circumcision.

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KENYA: Rising demand for male circumcision

(World health - EU Monitor 09/10/2008)

09 Oct 2008 15:43:55 GMT Source: IRIN Health facilities in Nyanza Province in western Kenya are struggling to meet the demand for medical male circumcisions since politicians threw their weight behind efforts to promote the procedure as a way of reducing HIV infections.

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Circumcision HIV impact doubted

(BBC 08/10/2008)

There is no hard evidence that circumcision protects gay men from HIV, research shows. African trials have shown circumcision cuts the likelihood of male to female HIV transmission by up to 60%. But a US analysis of data on 53,567 men who have sex with other men found HIV rates were not significantly lower among those who were circumcised.

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