Circumcision protects HIV-negative gay men from infection with syphilis, Australian investigators report in the December 15th edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. However, circumcision did not affect the risk of acquiring any other sexually transmitted infection.
Circumcision may protect gay men who are exclusively insertive for anal sex from infection with HIV, an Australian study published in the November 13th edition of AIDS suggests.
An average viral load reduction of 0.74 log is needed in order to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by 50%, according to an analysis of the Partners in Prevention study of aciclovir as an HIV prevention measure. The finding was presented at the AIDS Vaccine 2009 conference, but also has important implications for future studies of HIV treatment as prevention.
A cross-sectional survey has found that 14% of men and 10% of women in Cape Town, South Africa, report having heterosexual anal intercourse. Condoms are used at roughly equivalent frequency as for vaginal sex, it is reported in the online edition of Sexually Transmitted Infections.
Larger foreskin size is associated with an increased risk of becoming infected with HIV, investigators from the Rakai circumcision study report in the October edition of AIDS.
