Male Circumcision Shown to Prevent HPV Infections in Female Partners

A study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that male circumcision reduced the prevalence and incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in female partners. HPV infection causes cervical cancer in women.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• male circumcision
• hpv
• cervical cancer
• johns hopkins
• rakai
• uganda

[Komnenit]

80% of the males in the world are intact

[JohnsHopkinsSPH]

@Komnenit According to the World Health Organization "Global estimates in 2006 suggest that about 30% of males – representing a total of approximately 665 million men – are circumcised."

[JohnsHopkinsSPH]

The CDC they continue... "In these trials, circumcision was also protective against other STDs, including high-risk genital HPV infection and genital herpes. Despite these data, male circumcision has not been demonstrated to reduce the risk for HIV or other STDs among MSM."

[JohnsHopkinsSPH]

The CDC says the following "Although male circumcision should not be substituted for other HIV risk-reduction strategies, it has been shown to reduce the risk for HIV and some STDs in heterosexual men. Three randomized, controlled trials performed in regions of sub-Saharan Africa where generalized HIV epidemics involving predominantly heterosexual transmission were occurring demonstrated that male circumcision reduced the risk for HIV acquisition among men by 50%–60%."



[chaoscraig5v7o]

It has now been shown that circumcision increases the risk for HPV. Hence circumcision may increase the risk of both penile and cervical cancer by increasing the spread and acquisition of HPV. The practice of circumcision could very well be a contributing factor to the prevalence of HPV in the U.S.

[JohnsHopkinsSPH]

@chaoscraig5v7o I suggest those interested in this topic also read the comments from CDC and WHO on HPV and circumcision. They can also read Dr. Wawer's study "Effect of circumcision of HIV-negative men on transmission of human papillomavirus to HIV-negative women: a randomised trial in Rakai, Uganda" The Lancet, Volume 377, Issue 9761, Pages 209 - 218, 15 January 2011.

[psandbergnz]

@JohnsHopkins, you only cite studies from the THIRD-WORLD to find circumcision benefit. Where is reasonable evidence of circumcision protection against ANY STD in developed nations? A study by Mor et al. (2008) on 58,000 US men attending San Francisco STD clinics found slightly more HIV (bordering statistical significance) in its CIRCUMCISED men.

The WHO advocates circumcision in areas with "high rates of heterosexual HIV infection and low rates of circumcision" - not applicable to USA/Europe!

[chaoscraig5v7o]

@JohnsHopkinsSPH The CDC and the are WHO are not the only people with statements regarding circumcision. The Royal Dutch Medical Association (KNMG), The British Medical Association(BMA), the Canadian Pediatric Society(CPS), and the Royal Australian College of Pediatricians(RACP) have all made official policy statements against circumcision. (AAP), (AMA),(AAFP), and (AUA) do not recommend circumcision, they are also in agreement that there is not any proven benefit.

[StopSpamming1]

Why is this tolerated? Why are people being misled? Quackery at its best - and I would not be surprised to find this is religion based.

[TiniNormi]

@JohnsHopkinsSPH

That was 2006. The number has dropped since then.

[psandbergnz]

NB. I am well aware that elsewhere the USAID has observational studies which find a protective effect of circumcision against HIV. I admit this to avoid criticism of my being selective in the evidence I presented.

However, the USAID report I used compares the prevalence of HIV between circ'd and uncirc'd men WITHIN the countries listed (rather than BETWEEN countries, which it does elsewhere). Comparative findings WITHIN countries are more reliable, since cultural confounding is thereby reduced.

[psandbergnz]

Final word on Circumcision/HIV:

Observational studies do NOT find circumcision protects against HIV even in the 3rd world, according to a 2009 report by the U.S. Agency for Intern. Development (USAID). The report is called: "Levels and spread of HIV..". Google: measuredhs(.)com/pubs/CR22.pdf­.

It investigates EIGHTEEN 3rd world countries (see p.109) for HIV and circumcision status. It finds a “mixed picture”. In fact, in TEN of the 18 countries, HIV was HIGHER in the CIRCUMCISED men.

[TheChallenger2011]

@psandbergnz well said. Too many confounding variables exsist in these population studies performed on developing nations to be relevant to the population of any developed nation. They do not demonstrate a "gold-standard" with respect to epidemiological studies.

[chaoscraig5v7o]

@JohnsHopkinsSPH O, and it is very important not to forget this study.

"17 (18%) women in the intervention group and eight (12%) women in the control group acquired HIV during follow-up (p=0·36)"(1)

(1)Circumcision in HIV-infected men and its effect on HIV transmission to female partners in Rakai, Uganda: a randomized controlled trial. The Lancet, Volume 374, Issue 9685, Pages 229 - 237, 18 July 2009