A new study offers support for the theory to the idea that circumcisions reduce a man's risk of HIV infection by at least half.
The study, conducted by Dr. Cindy Liu and her colleagues in a paper published in the journal mBio, offers support for the theory that removing the foreskin deprives troublesome bacteria of a place to live, leaving the immune system in much better shape to keep the human immunodeficiency virus at bay.
Participants in the study ranged in age from 15 to 49. There were 5,000 Ugandan males who volunteered for the study, which showed that on average, there was an 81% reduction in bacteria in the circumcised men one year after surgery, the researchers reported. Some of the biggest drops were recorded for anaerobic bacteria.
The men in the uncircumcised control group also experienced a reduction in bacteria, but not to the degree that the circumcised men did. This was probably because of health and hygiene information that was given to all study participants, Liu said.
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