[afro-nets] Male circumcision Halves HIV Risk (9)

["Richard G. Wamai" <rgwamai@yahoo.com>]

Male circumcision Halves HIV Risk (9)
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It is very well to have these results but we should not lose sight of the fact that circumcision in many African communities is fundamentally a cultural rite of passage and propagating circumcision as a public health policy (for preventing HIV) is going to have to first overcome the deep-seated cultural norm. 

We should use lessons from past experiences. For example, when condoms were introduced after showing they are effective at preventing infection, it was expected that the uptake will be great. However, the rate has only grown from about 5.3% in 1993 to 18.8% in 2001, http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2006/11/17/condom-use.html. This is not very much of a success if we factor in failures and other challenges. Circumcision involves more of changing culture whereas condom use involves more of changing behaviour. Both are tough but the former is going to be much tougher. Hence, the growing optimism from these studies should, as I see it, be taken with cautious skepticism. And thus this should not be excused to redirect attention from focusing much more resources towards a vaccine or cure and other methods of prevention and care and treatment for those already living with HIV. A lot more work needs to be done. 


Richard G. Wamai, Ph.D. 
Research Fellow,
Harvard University School of Public Health, 
Department of Population and International Health,
665 Huntington Avenue,
Boston, MA 02115-6021.
Tel: +1-617-432-4604.
Website: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/researchers/rwamai.html 
Email: mailto:rwamai@hsph.harvard.edu