An new study involving over 2,000 men has shown that being uncut is a higher HIV risk – you are 8 times more likely to be infected than your cut peers. The foreskin is potentially more vulnerable to infection, the study concluded, as the inner surface does not have the same protective qualities as the outside layer. The study, which needs to be backed up by clinical trials, could see a worldwide re-introduction of circumcision at birth, with experts saying that it could be an aid to HIV prevention strategies, particularly in AIDS-ravaged African countries. Circumcision in New Zealand was common during World War II but had dropped to below 1% of the wider population by the 1970's. There have been numerous articles written in recent years attacking the procedure, with former Commissioner for Children Roger McClay going so far as to term it a “form of abuse”. For the majority of men in New Zealand who remain intact, the study again serves to highlight the importance of safe sex in an arguably HIV-complacent community.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 11th October 2003 - 12:00pm