Re: Promoting circumcision to prevent AIDS: A public health policy dilemma

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Since the second world war, most male children in the USA are circumcised within

hours of being born, irrespective of whether they are Jews or Christians. It is

a great practice for those who join the armed forces, since keeping the penis

clean under those circumstances is difficult, and there is great build up of

smegma.

This, however, did not prevent the gay males in 1981 from being infected with

HIV, and in hordes. Since Muslims in India do circumcise, a study could be

conducted.

To give suggestions to some of the questions posed.

Q1. Should routine male circumcision be introduced to stop the spread of

HIV,should the practice be completely banned? Or should it be voluntary?

Ans: After each male birth, parents should be given a choice whether to

circumcise.

Q2.Would, promoting penal hygiene reduces HIV transmission rates similar to the

levels of male circumcision?

Ans: This question is debatable, since unlike Europe, people in America shower

everyday, and hygiene in general is praticed (learnt from the Native Americans)

and they still get HIV.

Q3. Should circumcision, to be promoted as a viable HIV prevention practice in

India?

Ans: Needs further study, but gut feeling says no. Most African muslims do

circumcise and are no better protected than others.

Q4. Would reports that suggest circumcision reduces the risk of HIV encourage

you to be circumcised, or to have your children circumcised?

Q5. Do you know what it involves? (When to do it, how to do it, clinical

procedure or non clinical procedure etc.)

Q6. If circumcision prevents HIV infection, should NACO provide access to the

procedure?

Questions 4,5,6 are for the Indian medical community, government and parents to

answer.

Yours,

Priyadarshi

e-mail: <thurpu@...>