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Research results suggest that the widespread practice of male circumcision could limit the spread of HIV in regions with a high prevalence of HIV, low prevalences of male circumcision, and heterosexual epidemics. The challenge is to transform scientific knowledge into public health strategies that will improve programs and policies, and promote better health.
Synthesis of research findings
- Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) and related studies : Clinical research provides the evidence base for the introduction and scale-up of male circumcision services. Three recent randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that circumcised men have about a 60 percent reduced risk of acquiring HIV from infected women, compared to uncircumcised men. Read more>>
- Social and behavioural research: Social and behavioural research on male circumcision has assessed the acceptability of the procedure and its effects on sexual behaviour and sexual pleasure. Read more>>
- Observational research: Early evidence that male circumcision might help protect men from HIV came from studies that observed associations between circumcision status and the incidence or prevalence of HIV infection. Read more>>
- Operations research: Operations research helps determine how to provide male circumcision services safely, effectively and efficiently in real-world settings. Read more>>
- Research on cost-effectiveness of the procedure: Research suggests that male circumcision may be a cost-effective way to prevent HIV infection in areas with high HIV prevalence. Read more>>
- Research on the safety of male circumcision for HIV prevention: Studies of male circumcision show that the procedure is safest when it is performed in a clinical setting by trained health providers. Read more>>
Current research and research gaps
Randomised controlled trials have provided a critical foundation for moving forward with male circumcision performed by trained healthcare providers, but there are still questions that can be explored through operations research and additional studies. Issues that have been identified in the literature on male circumcision include: efficacy against other sexually transmitted infections, efficacy in the context of anal intercourse, further exploration of the circumcision of HIV-positive men and its impact on transmission to women, as well as research on rates of risk behaviours among circumcised men.
There is also ongoing work to to identify safer, more effective ways to deliver male circumcision services and the impact of those services on the HIV epidemic. Read more>>
Other current HIV prevention trials and projects
Click here for summaries of some of the current and recent HIV prevention trials on microbicides, vaccines, Herpes-simplex virus type 2, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
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