Circumcision operation

    Prevention technologies such as vaccines and microbicides are still years away from reaching people at high risk of infection, while male circumcision is available now and could save lives without breaking the bank -- 60 dollars one operation.

    Several African countries have already acted on the results of a South African-based study released last year, which appeared to confirm that circumcision has a protective effect against HIV transmission.

    This is a key finding, in light of one of the biggest concerns surrounding male circumcision: that men might view it as an alternative to condoms and safer sexual behaviour rather than as an additional protection against HIV.

    Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organization's HIV-AIDS department, said circumcision removes the foreskin which is both an easy point of entry and full of cells that are targeted by the virus.

    While former U.S. president Bill Clinton has said circumcision could have a "staggering effect" on controlling HIV, De Cock said more research must be done before the WHO recommends circumcision as a prevention tool.

    World Health Organisation researchers and colleagues, while supporting the procedure as a prevention tool, reported that male circumcision could prevent millions of new HIV infections but warned against risky sexual behaviour.

    The organisation recently cautioned that circumcision showed promise in reducing the risk of aquiring HIV, but this did not mean circumcision alone could prevent men from becoming infected with HIV during sexual intercourse. Enditem

    (Agencies)