Reader Comments
Post a new comment on this article
Post Your Discussion Comment
Please follow our guidelines for comments and review our competing interests policy. Comments that do not conform to our guidelines will be promptly removed and the user account disabled. The following must be avoided:
- Remarks that could be interpreted as allegations of misconduct
- Unsupported assertions or statements
- Inflammatory or insulting language
Thank You!
Thank you for taking the time to flag this posting; we review flagged postings on a regular basis.
closeFalse alarm for women
Posted by plosmedicine on 30 Mar 2009 at 23:49 GMT
Author: Jake Waskett
Position: Independent researcher
Institution: n/a
E-mail: jake@waskett.org
Submitted Date: December 19, 2005
Published Date: January 5, 2006
This comment was originally posted as a “Reader Response” on the publication date indicated above. All Reader Responses are now available as comments.
Editor,
Sykes suggests that male circumcision results in increased risk for females,[1] basing this assertion on a 1994 observational study.[2] Other observational studies have in fact shown a decreased risk of HIV among women with circumcised partners.[3-5]
Unlike Auvert's impressive RCT,[6] such studies are susceptible to confounding and must be treated with some caution. Where they are to be considered at all, it is important to examine all the evidence.
Jake H Waskett
1. Sykes J. Male circumcision increases risk for females. PLoS Med eLetter, 24 Nov 2005
2. Chao A, et al. Risk factors associated with prevalent HIV-1 infection among pregnant women in Rwanda. Int J Epidemiol 1994; 23(2):371-80
3. Fonck K, et al. Pattern of sexually transmitted diseases and risk factors among women attending an STD referral clinic in Nairobi, Kenya. Sex Transm Dis. 2000 Aug;27(7):417-23
4. Hunter DJ, et al. Sexual behavior, sexually transmitted diseases, male circumcision and risk of HIV infection among women in Nairobi, Kenya. AIDS. 1994 Jan;8(1):93-9
5. Kapiga SH, et al. The incidence of HIV infection among women using family planning methods in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. AIDS. 1998 Jan 1;12(1):75-84
6. Auvert B, et al. Randomized, Controlled Intervention Trial of Male Circumcision for Reduction of HIV Infection Risk: The ANRS 1265 Trial. PLoS Med 2005; 2(11): e298.