Never a city to trail behind, New York is already considering whether promoting circumcision among the city鈥檚 men might help limit the spread of HIV there. The procedure has worked wonders in Africa, cutting the infection rate by 60 per cent in circumcised Ugandans, Kenyans and South Africans compared with their intact compatriots. On 28 March, the World 午夜福利1000集合 Organization and UNAIDS endorsed it as a means of reducing HIV spread.
So far, though, the procedure has only been shown to work in Africa and in men who only have sex with women. So could a similar strategy work in New York, where sex between men and infection through intravenous drug use are more prevalent?
鈥淎t this point, we don鈥檛 have data to support circumcision as a public health measure in epidemics mainly driven by men who have sex with men, and intravenous drug use,鈥� says Kim Dickson, who chaired the joint WHO/UNAIDS working group.
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鈥淐ould a circumcision strategy work where sex between men is more prevalent?鈥�
A spokeswoman for the New York City Department of 午夜福利1000集合 and Mental Hygiene told New Scientist that there is no circumcision campaign under way. However, she said: 鈥淲e are beginning discussions with our community partners and the medical community to learn whether the compelling findings [from Africa] may be helpful in fighting HIV in New York.鈥�
