Male circumcision'already shown by earlier research to reduce by half the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission'may be even more effective than previously thought, reducing the chances of HIV infection by nearly two thirds, according to a study presented at the XVII International AIDS Conference. An analysis of nearly 3,000 men in Kenya, half of whom underwent circumcision, showed those who were circumcised were 65% less likely to be HIV-positive three and a half years after the procedure than the uncircumcised men. Circumcision also reduced male human papillomavirus infections by 36%, according to the study. Researchers hope the procedure will become another HIV prevention tool in resource-poor nations.
