Male Circumcision

Male Circumcision Shown to Significantly Reduce HIV Risk Clinical Trials in Uganda and Kenya Discontinued Early

On Tuesday, 12 December 2006, the Data Safety Monitoring Board overseeing the Kenyan and Ugandan male circumcision trials held an interim analysis and decided to stop both the trials early. The trial data showed that circumcised men who practiced penile-vaginal intercourse had approximately 50% less chance of acquiring HIV than non-circumcised men.

These results are extremely exciting for HIV prevention. The global prevention community, including microbicide advocates, have an important role to play in helping ensure that this intervention is properly and strategically implemented. Another trial is now underway to determine whether circumcision of male partners reduces women's risk of acquiring HIV. These results are expected in 2008. Future trials will need to explore the possible impact of circumcision on transmission occurring during anal sex.

Please share this notice with your colleagues and follow these links to learn more about this critical news:

Circumcision Significantly Reduces Risk of HIV Transmission

Article by Dr. Laurie Barclay, Medscape, December 18, 2006

National Institutes of Health News Release

NIH Question and Answer document about the trial

World Health Organization statement

UNAIDS power point presentation

New York Times coverage

AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition statement on male circumcision

AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, Anticipating Results of Male Circumcision Trials
(pre-publication copy)

Useful Links

AIDS Vaccine Clearinghouse: Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention