Study sheds new light why circumcised men less likely to become HIV infected

News Agency ANI/Times of India reports that a study published Tuesday reveals why men who have been circumcised are less likely to become infected with HIV.

The researchers from the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Johns Hopkins University found for the first time that circumcision significantly changes the bacterial community of the penis. Pooling data from three randomized-control trials in sub-Saharan Africa, where the circumcision rate is relatively low and the HIV infection rate is relatively high, the study concluded that the reduction in such bacteria following circumcision may play a role in protection from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

According to a TGen press release, the study results could lead to new non-surgical HIV preventative strategies for the estimated 70 percent of men worldwide (more than 2 billion) who, because of religious or cultural beliefs, or logistic or financial barriers, are not likely to become circumcised.