Circumcision Tied to Drop in Herpes, Too

African men who underwent circumcision not only reduced their risk of contracting HIV infection, they also were significantly less likely to be infected with herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) – also known as genital herpes, researchers reported here.

Among uncircumcised men in the 15-to-49 age group, HSV-2 prevalence was 30.8% compared with a 17.1% prevalence among circumcised men (P<0.001), said Bertran Auvert, MD, professor of public health at the University of Versailles outside Paris, who reported on results from two surveys involving more than 4,500 participants.

When variables were analyzed, circumcision led to a reduction of 27% in the risk of acquiring HSV-2 infection when compared with uncircumcised men, Auvert said here at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.

Trials conducted in Orange Farm, South Africa, showed a significant decline in HIV infection among circumcised men. As those trial results became publicized, the rate of circumcision rapidly increased to the point where almost half the men in the region have now undergone the surgical procedure, Auvert said.

At a press briefing here, Auvert reported findings from three years after the rollout of the male circumcision projects in Orange Farm, a city of more than 100,000 people. He and his research team conducted two cross-sectional surveys, one in 2007 before the rollout, and the second in the 2010-2011 period. The random samplings included 1,198 men in 2007 and 3,355 men in the second survey.

Rare Circumcision Ritual Carries Herpes Risk A rare Jewish circumcision practice may put young infants at risk for genital herpes with potentially severe complications, according to a new study.

Researchers in Israel have documented eight cases in which male infants became infected with the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) after undergoing circumcision that included direct oral-genital contact between the infant and the circumciser (mohel). One of the infants suffered brain damage as the result of his infection.

Male circumcision is the removal of the foreskin (prepuce), which is a fold of skin that covers and protects the tip of the penis.

According to Jewish custom and traditions, newborn Jewish boys are ritually circumcised at eight days of age, and complications are generally very rare.

However, a small number of Orthodox rabbis advocate an ancient practice in which the circumciser sucks the blood from the infant's circumcision wound until the bleeding stops, a ritual known as metzitzah.

Researchers say the vast majority of ritual circumcisions are currently performed with a sterile suctioning device and not oral suction by the mohel.

The researchers determined that medical male circumcision prevalence increased from 15.6% to 49.4% among participants ages 15 to 49. Compared with uncircumcised men, circumcised men were younger, more educated, more likely to be unemployed, more likely to be of Sotho ethnicity, and more likely to know their HIV status.