Bigger Prevention Role for Circumcision

Circumcision may help to prevent genital warts and herpes in men. That’s the conclusion of a new study reported March 26 by the Associated Press. Earlier research found that circumcision helped to protect against HIV. That research was done in three African countries. The new study focused on Uganda. It included 3,393 heterosexual teens and men. All were part of the original HIV study. About half were randomly chosen to be circumcised. After two years, herpes infection was detected in 114 men who had been circumcised and 153 who had not. Human papilloma virus causes genital warts. This virus was found in 42 circumcised and 80 uncircumcised men. There was no major difference in syphilis infections. The study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.