Ask the Expert – VMMC 2011: Twitter session today
On November 29, 2011, PLoS Medicine announced the publication of a sponsored collection, in conjunction with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) – Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention: The Cost, Impact, and Challenges of Accelerated Scale-Up in Southern and Eastern Africa.
Today, December 19, 2011, a question-and-answer Twitter expert session [#VMMC@USAIDGH] will be held, from 1pm-2pm EST, with Emmanuel Njeuhmeli, Senior Biomedical Prevention Advisor of the Office of HIV/AIDS/USAID Washington, Co-Chair PEPFAR, Male Circumcision Technical Working Group, and an author on several of the articles in the Collection.
We encourage readers to tweet questions (with #VMMC@USAIDGH) about the new push for #VMMC for #endofaids and other topics about this collection.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the VMMC collection are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the U.S. Government and UNAIDS. The collection was produced with support from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The PLoS Medicine editors have sole editorial responsibility for the content of this collection.
Many professionals have criticized the studies claiming that circumcision reduces HIV transmission. They have various flaws. Authorities that cite the studies have other agendas. Circumcision causes physical, sexual, and psychological harm. Other methods to prevent HIV transmission (e.g., condoms and sterilizing medical instruments) are much more effective, much cheaper, and much less invasive. Please see http://www.circumcision.org/hiv.htm for more information.
The average man on the street in Africa hears the literally unbelievable news that male circumcision lowers your chances of contracting HIV by 60%. He is not being told that the 60% is hypothetical, and that in actual practice, it is closer to 1%. He doesn’t listen to the part where they say you still have to wear a condom.
He leaves himself open to the risk of HIV, and brings his wife along for the ride.
Circumcision is not a reasonable alternative to teaching safe sex.
All you are doing, is making the person pushing the circumcision clamps rich, and taking the rest for a ride.
I agree with Dr. Goldman wholeheartedly. Circumcision is going to exacerbate the problem, not solve it.