ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES

WHAT ARE ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES?
A health treatment that does not fit into standard western medical practice is called "alternative" or "complementary". This includes many different therapies:
• Traditional healing practices such as ayurveda, Chinese acupuncture, and Native American healing
• Physical therapies such as chiropractic, massage, and yoga
• Energy work such as polarity therapy or reiki
• Homeopathy or herbs
• Relaxation techniques, including meditation and visualization
• Dietary supplements, such as HOW MANY PEOPLE USE ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES? Alternative therapies are very popular. In the United States, over 70% of people with HIV have used some kind of an alternative therapy. Many people use them regularly. Some health insurance plans pay for therapies such as chiropractic or acupuncture.

ARE THEY SAFE?
Alternative therapies can have dangerous side effects. The words "natural" or "non-drug" do not guarantee safety. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) does not approve dietary supplements or monitor their safety or contents. Some herbs can lower blood levels of ARVs. Consumers need to be careful when using alternative therapies.
The FDA recently proposed new rules that would reduce the risk of contamination of dietary supplements and would require that their labels clearly indicate their identity, purity, quality, strength and composition.

DO THEY REALLY WORK?
It is difficult to find good information on alternative therapies. Get as much information as you can before using them. Try to find out:
o When and how was this therapy developed?
o How does it work?
o Are there any articles or studies of this therapy?
o Are the therapists trained, certified, or licensed?
o Are there any known side effects or other risks?
Sometimes this information is truly not available. However, if it seems like people don't want to answer your questions, be extra careful. You might be dealing with a health fraud.

WHY AREN'T THERE MORE STUDIES OF ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES?
Most research tests treatments for a particular disease or condition. Every patient gets exactly the same treatment. Sometimes alternative therapies are not standardized, making them more difficult to study.
Alternative therapies aren't always designed to treat a particular illness:
Some alternative therapies treat the whole person, not an illness. They might restore harmony, balance, or normal energy flow. Acupuncturists, for example, use the pulse to see if your body's energy is out of balance. Acupuncture for people with HIV is based on their individual energy pattern, not on their HIV. Therapies like this might help people with HIV, but they are not designed to treat HIV.
Few alternative therapies are standardized:
Few alternative therapies are standardized. Different brands of herbs can have different amounts of the active ingredient, although more standardized products are being made. Chiropractic, acupuncture, and other therapies are not standard. They are adjusted for each patient. Research is very difficult when treatments are not standardized.
Basic Safety Studies Haven't Been Done:
The FDA wants to know that a therapy is safe before they test how well it works. Even if a treatment has been used for many years with no reports of health problems, the FDA requires a scientific study to show that it is safe. There are no careful safety studies for many alternative therapies.
StudyStudies are expensive:
Scientific research is very expensive. The makers of alternative therapies often cannot afford to pay for scientific studies. The government prefers to pay for studies of western medical drugs because they appear to be more effective. Patents allow manufacturers to make large profits that help pay for research. However, most alternative therapies cannot be patented.

Despite these barriers, some alternative therapies have been carefully studied. Often, this research has been conducted outside the US and might not be considered by the FDA. The Fact Sheets for each alternative therapy mention research that has been done.

WORKING WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
Tell your health care provider as much as possible about how you want to deal with your HIV infection. Tell your health care provider about all the therapies you use. This is very important if you have any kind of bad reaction to a medicine that you are taking. There could be some alternative therapies that you should not use together with your ARVs. For example, some herbs lower the levels of ARVs.

Check your health care provider's attitude and knowledge on alternative therapies. Ideally, your health care provider can keep an open mind and help you evaluate alternative therapies that interest you.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Most people with HIV use some kind of alternative or complementary therapy. Some alternative therapies can be dangerous. Others are safe to use. Some have been carefully studied and can improve your health.

It is difficult to study alternative therapies. Find out as much as you can before you start using an alternative therapy. Let your health care provider know about the therapies you are using. For more information see the web site of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at http://nccam.nih.gov.


source:aidsinfonet.org

FDA Approves New HIV Treatment for Patients Who Do Not Respond to Existing Drugs

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Prezista (darunavir), a new drug for adults whose infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has not responded to treatment with other antiretroviral drugs. Prezista, a new HIV protease inhibitor, is approved to be co-administered with a low-dose of ritonavir and other active anti-HIV agents. Ritonavir, a protease inhibitor approved in 1996, slows the breakdown of Prezista in the body thereby increasing the concentration of Prezista in the patient's system.

Infection with HIV causes AIDS, which results in more than 15,000 premature deaths each year in the United States and more than 2.8 million deaths each year worldwide.

"This approval offers new hope to HIV patients who too often urgently need new therapies in order to maintain their health," said Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, Acting Commissioner of Food and Drugs. "This drug is not a cure, but when combined with other standard therapies, it presents one more major step in our effort to help patients combat the effects of the disease."

Today's accelerated approval is based on evidence from two randomized, controlled studies comparing the safety and effectiveness of a Prezista-ritonavir combination with other ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor combinations. Patients in both arms of these trials also used other anti-HIV agents (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) with or without enfuvirtide, a fusion inhibitor that inhibits the virus from entering the cell. In these studies, patients on a Prezista-ritonavir combination experienced higher rates of reduction of their HIV viral load than patients on other ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor combinations. Seventy percent of treatment-experienced patients achieved a virologic response, improving the treatment outcome, with Prezista-ritonavir in combination therapy compared to 21 percent in control group at week 24.

The most common side effects reported by patients on the Prezista-ritonavir regimen included diarrhea, nausea, and headache. About seven percent of patients on this combination therapy experienced skin rashes ranging from mild to serious.

The risks and benefits of Prezista have not been established for adults who have not been previously treated for HIV, or for children.

As a condition of the accelerated approval, the manufacturer is required to conduct post-marketing trials to verify and describe the clinical benefits of Prezista. Other postmarketing studies that the manufacturer has committed to conduct include studies in pediatric populations, studies to better define certain drug-drug interactions, and to evaluate the drug in patients with varying degrees of liver impairment to identify appropriate dosing for this patient population.

Patients are advised to take Prezista and ritonavir with food, and not to use the combination therapy together with St. John's wort or various other drugs, including certain anticonvulsants, antihistamines, sedatives and a few of the protease inhibitors.

Prezista is manufactured for Tibotec, Inc., Division of Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., Raritan, N.J., by JOLL, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.


source:fda.gov

New Study Shows More Convenient HIV Treatment As Effective As More Complex Regimens

Regimens to treat HIV infection that are based on a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) are at least as effective as treatment with a protease inhibitor but require patients to take fewer pills each day, according to a new study funded in part by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The study, published in the October 28 online issue of the Lancet, found that disease progression was similar for both regimens, but NNRTI-based treatment appeared more effective at decreasing the amount of virus in the blood. The number of patients who stopped treatment because of adverse events was similar for both medications.

The new study is the first to review all published research that directly compares the two classes of antiretroviral drugs used in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). NNRTI-based regimens were found to be up to 60 percent more likely to suppress the amount of virus in patients' blood than protease inhibitor-based regimens. The percentage of patients who died or experienced disease progression were similar between the two treatments, and the number of patients who stopped taking the medications because of side effects or adverse events was also similar.

While some protease inhibitors require four doses each day, one NNRTI, efavirenz, can be taken in one daily dose. This convenience could increase the likelihood that patients will adhere to their HIV regimens.

Publication of the study follows the July 12 approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the first once-a-day medication to treat HIV. The drug contains emtricitabine and tenofovir, two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, plus efavirenz. The components of the drug were previously available, but it is anticipated that the new combined formulation will simplify treatment and improve compliance.

"A simpler regimen offers the potential of improved adherence and better patient outcomes. Combined with the approval of new dosage formulations, this information could improve the management of patients in this country and in regions of the world where access to medical care and treatment compliance can be challenging," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. “These findings highlight the need for additional research that evaluates the extent to which improvements in markers of a disease, such a viral suppression, lead to improved clinical outcomes."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that between 1 million and 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and at least 40,000 new infections occur each year. Worldwide, approximately 40 million individuals are infected with the virus.

Researchers, led by Roger Chou, M.D., at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, completed an analysis of 26 trials, including 12 head-to-head trials comparing NNRTI-based regimens with protease inhibitor-based regimens. Fourteen other trials compared two-drug regimens with either NNRTI-based or protease inhibitor-based, triple-drug regimens. Among 3,337 patients analyzed in the head-to-head trials, NNRTI-based regimens were better than protease inhibitor-based regimens by 20 percent to 60 percent in their ability to achieve viral suppression.

Dramatic decreases in the rate of HIV-related illnesses and deaths have occurred since the introduction of HAART therapy in which three or more antiretroviral agents are used. However, until now, comparisons of head-to-head trials were not available to support selection of a protease inhibitor or an NNRTI as part of that combination therapy. Researchers concluded that earlier analyses may be unreliable because their results differed dramatically from the analysis of head-to-head trials, even after excluding patients who had previously received HIV therapy and those who had received older NNRTIs, such as delaviridine, that are now used infrequently because they are less effective than newer NNRTIs. Prior antiretroviral treatment can cause drug resistance and treatment failure.

The study was completed as followup to an evidence review prepared by Dr. Chou and a team of researchers at AHRQ's Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center in Portland. The EPCs were established to synthesize existing scientific literature about important health care topics and promote evidence-based practice and decisionmaking.

source:
ahrq.gov

Tips for Teens: HIV/AIDS

Tips for Teens: HIV/AIDS

Get the Facts…

AIDS--Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome--is caused by HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV weakens your body's immune system, making it less able to fight against diseases and infections. HIV passes from one person to another through contact with the bodily fluids of someone infected with the virus. Most often, the virus spreads through oral, vaginal, or anal sex during which a condom is not used, or by sharing a needle. Mothers can pass the virus on to their babies during pregnancy or birth or by breast-feeding.

It's not a "gay thing." Many persons who become infected are heterosexual. In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more females than males ages 13-19 tested positive for HIV.1 The most common source of infection for females of all ages is heterosexual sex.2

Using alcohol and drugs increases your risk. Alcohol and drugs affect your judgment and lower your inhibitions. As a result, drinking or taking drugs can lead you to take risks you are less likely to take when sober, such as having unprotected sex.

Injected drug use was the cause of at least 11 percent of infections for young people ages 13-24.3 Any drug use, however, contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS when users trade sex for drugs or when they engage in risky behaviors while under the influence of drugs.

Before You Risk It…

Get the facts. Not having sexual intercourse is the most effective way to avoid STDs, including HIV/AIDS. For teens who choose to be sexually active, these prevention measures lower your risk of an HIV infection.

* Avoid alcohol and drugs. Their use can cause you to make sexual choices you wouldn't make sober.
* Only engage in sexual activity that does not involve vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
* Have intercourse with only one uninfected partner.
* Use a latex condom every time you have sexual intercourse of any kind.

Know the risks. The majority of young people who have HIV are infected sexually. As more teens have become aware of the risk, fewer are having sex and more teens who are sexually active are using condoms.4 The second most common source of HIV is intravenous drug use, but any activity where blood exchange is possible is risky. Teens should not share needles for any activity, including steroid drug injection, tattooing, or body piercing.5

Stay informed. While most people who have the disease now live much longer due to medical research and new drugs, there is no cure.

Know the Signs…

How can you tell if you or someone else may already have HIV? If you have not had unprotected sex or shared a needle, it is very unlikely that you have HIV. The only way to know if you are infected is to be tested. The following may be warning signs of HIV infection:

* Weight loss
* Frequent fevers and sweats
* Lack of energy
* Swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck
* Persistent skin rashes
* Severe herpes infections that cause mouth, genital, or anal sores
* Short-term memory loss

No one should assume they are infected if they have these symptoms. Any of these symptoms can be related to other illnesses. Again, the only way to find out if you are infected with HIV is to be tested.

What can you do to help someone whose substance abuse problem is putting them at risk for HIV/AIDS? Be a real friend. You might even save a life. Encourage your friend to stop using substances or seek professional help. For information and referrals, call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 800-729-6686.

Q & A

Q. Can you get HIV/AIDS from casual contact with an infected person or their stuff?
A. No. HIV/AIDS is not spread through sweat, tears, or saliva. The body fluids that have been shown to contain high concentrations of HIV include blood, semen, vaginal fluid, breast milk, and other body fluids containing blood.

Q. If you already have HIV, does it really matter if you drink or use drugs?
A.Yes. Not using tobacco, alcohol, or drugs improves your chances of staying healthy longer. Use of any of these substances can cause other health problems, interfere with your treatment medications, or both.

Q. Who is most likely to get HIV/ AIDS?
A. Anyone who has unprotected sex, shares a needle, or exchanges blood with an infected person is at risk. HIV is a virus. AIDS is a disease. Viruses do not care about age, race, gender, or sexual orientation.

Information

To learn more about HIV/AIDS or obtain referrals to programs in your community, contact one of the following toll-free numbers:

SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
800-729-6686
TDD 800-487-4889
linea gratis en español
877-767-8432

Curious about the TV ads of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign? Check out the Web site at www.freevibe.com or visit the Office of National Drug Control Policy Web site at www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov.

The bottom line: If you know someone who is risking exposure to HIV/AIDS, urge him or her to stop. If your behavior places you at risk of an HIV/AIDS infection--STOP! If you have already placed yourself at risk, get tested and follow your doctor's instructions. The longer you ignore the real facts, the more chances you take with your life. Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counselor, a teacher, or another adult you trust. You also can call the CDC National AIDS Hotline at 800-342-2437 for more information.

Do it today--it's your life.

Source: health.org

HIV and Older Women

HIV and Older Women

by Barbara C. Phillips, NP

The numbers of older women becoming infected with the virus that causes AIDS is of growing concern. Learn how you can protect yourself.
HIV infections are on the rise. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of Americans over 50 who are infected with HIV have grown over 5 times (16,300 people in 1995, to 90,600 in 2003). While seniors represent about 14% of people with HIV, senior women represent 18%. The numbers of women with infections are even higher for American women of color, and come in at a staggering 47% when looking at world HIV infection rates. That means that just under half of all HIV infections are found in women worldwide.
One reason for the higher number of older women with HIV was found in a study recently published by Emory University. They surveyed 514 women over the age of 50, and found that their knowledge about transmission was poor. For example, approximately 50% of women believed that vasectomies and diaphragms prevent the spread of HIV.
Other reasons include the fact that many older women, who have sex with men, are also not using condoms, knowing they are past the point of having to worry about pregnancy. Women also erroneously think they cant get HIV if they are not engaging in behaviors they deem as risky. The truth of the matter is this. HIV is a virus. Its an opportunist. It does not care if you are male or female. It does not care who you have sex with, nor the numbers of people you have sex with. It certainly does not care about the color of your skin, you bank balance or you age.
HIV is primarily spread in two ways. First is though the sharing of contaminated intravenous drug equipment. Second, and more commonly, HIV is spread by unprotected sexual encounters. Women frequently are the receptive partners, and the receptive partners are more likely to become infected. Women who are post menopausal are at higher risk because of the changes in the vaginal tissue. With less estrogen to nourish the vagina, the tissue atrophies (becomes thin) and there is less lubrication. A woman can easily get tiny tears in her vaginal tissues, thus leaving an opening for virus to gain entry to her blood stream.
Whats a woman to do?
1. Know your own HIV status. Contact your health care provider, or (if you want anonymous testing) the local health department for testing. I do not recommend home testing at this time. First, if you are positive, are you really? And if you are negative, are you really? If positive, confirmatory blood testing is required. Many offices have started using rapid testing in the office where preliminary results can be obtained in 20 minutes. In the meantime you can get the appropriate information on how you need to proceed.
2. Know your partners history (this goes for both male AND female partners ladies!). Do they have a history of multiple partners and unprotected sexual encounters? Have they been tested? When? Did they get a follow up test at 6 months? What were the results?
3. Condoms and lubrication are essential. Use them not only on your partners body parts that may be entering you, but also on any toys you may be utilizing as well There are several online and confidential sources to purchase lubricants, condoms and gloves.
4. Limit your exposure when possible. Think twice if you are engaging in high risk behavior with a casual or new partner.
5. Educate yourself. The information presented here is just a small portion of what you need to know. Each of us bears the responsibility to educate ourselves and our partners.
For many women, sexual activity does not stop just because they reach a certain age. I encourage you to continue to enjoy yourselves, but do so safely.


©2005, Barbara C. Phillips, Nurse Practitioner and founder of OlderWiserWomen(tm) inspires women to embrace the freedom, magic and wisdom of Successful Aging. Visit http://www.OlderWiserWomen.com for your copy of "Celebrating You: 50 Tips for Vibrant Living".

Circumcision Can't Prevent HIV

Circumcision Can't Prevent HIV

by Dan Bollinger

Circumcision may result in a false belief that safe-sex practices are no longer required, implying a worsening of the incidence of HIV infection, according to a joint statement issued September 29, 2005 with: National Organisation of Circumcision Information Resource Centres,South Africa (NOCIRC-SA) www.nocirc-sa.co.za.
(PRWEB) October 2, 2005 -- Two separate papers were presented at a conference in Brazil, claiming that male and female circumcision has the potential to reduce HIV acquisition. Such claims may conversely have negative consequences in the struggle against HIV and AIDS. At the recent congress of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), the findings of a study conducted amongst male South African participants were presented, suggesting that the circumcised penis is more resistant to HIV infection. TAC has been reported to be considering advocating circumcision as a result. We are encouraging them to reconsider their new strategy.This study could dangerously mislead people into believing that if they are circumcised, they would be protected against HIV. The natural response of a circumcised male to these reports is to assume that he is more resistant to HIV infection than is the intact male. The implication being that even more circumcised men may engage in unsafe sexual practices under the false impression that they won't contract HIV. Equally troublesome is the fact that this study offers no indication on whether or not the receptive partner of the circumcised male will become more or less vulnerable to HIV infection. The female receptive partner's risk will likely increase without adequate protection. A second study, performed by Stallings amongst African females in Tanzania shows that HIV transmission is also reduced among circumcised FEMALES. This has gone unreported by the media. Such selective reporting suggests the need for analysis from a gender prejudice point-of-view and suggests that male and female circumcision should be dealt with as a unity.The foreskin is not just a piece of skin, but rather a highly specialized erogenous and immunological structure, which cannot be cut off like hair or fingernails. We are therefore concerned about the frequent uncritical reference to particularly the male study in the media. The promotion of its uncorroborated findings, without adequate understanding of the behavioral consequences, is highly irresponsible. Feedback offered to our organization indicates that some individuals are now advocating "chop-shops," where parents will be able to bring their children for the non-consensual, non-therapeutic removal of their foreskins.The "Lancet," the pre-eminent medical journal in the world, rejected the publication of the above French study. The broad quotation within the media is therefore, premature and irresponsible since the study has not been peer- reviewed as yet. When extrapolating globally, the hypothesis of this study could be proven to be wrong. The United States has a very high rate of circumcision coupled with the highest HIV infection rate in the developed world. Scandinavia on the other hand has one of the lowest rates of circumcision in the world coupled with a comparatively low incidence of HIV infection. Global trends should be more accurate than one, demographically limited study. Neither does current research point to a significant difference in infection rates in South Africa amongst the non-circumcising tribes such as the Zulus, and the circumcising tribes such as the Xhosas.Other studies have thus far failed to corroborate that circumcision could prevent HIV. The highly respected Cochrane review, which conducted a meta-analysis of circumcision and its relationship to HIV, "found insufficient evidence to support an interventional effect of male circumcision on HIV acquisitionin heterosexual men." The most important emphasis of HIV prevention should focus on education, the use of non-contaminated medical equipment, and behavioral changes such as condom use, and not foreskin amputation. The amputation of the male prepuce removes the only movable part of the penis, causing increased friction during sexual intercourse, leading to micro-tears of tissue, and subsequent increased vulnerability to possible infection. In South Africa, 'dry sex' practices, whereby lubrication mechanisms are purposely removed, make HIV infection even more likely to occur. It has also previously been demonstrated that circumcised men don't like using condoms as they suffer from a progressively desensitized penis.UNAIDS has cautioned against circumcision. "If circumcision were promoted as a way of preventing HIV infection, people might abandon other safe sexual practices, such as condom use. This risk is far from negligible - already rumors abound in some communities that circumcision acts as a "natural condom". A sexworker interviewed in the city of Kisumu in Kenya summed up this misconception, saying, "I can sleep with circumcised men without a condom because they don't carry a lot of dirt on their penis." Circumcision does not eliminate HIV infection. In one study in South Africa, two out of five circumcised men were infected with HIV, compared with three out of five uncircumcised men. Relying on circumcision for protection is like playing Russian roulette with two bullets in a (five-shot) revolver rather than three."National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centres of South Africa implores all organizations associated with the fight against HIV/AIDS to take note of these developments. We should not lose foresight in the fight against HIV/AIDS by these irresponsible statements promoting circumcision of healthy body parts of boys and girls as a preventative strategy. All children have a right to bodily integrity, and such procedures violate that right. This right is enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which South Africa is a state signatory.

http://www.icgi.org

HIV Prevention a Poor Excuse for Circumcision, Activists Say

HIV Prevention a Poor Excuse for Circumcision, Activists Say
by Matthew Hess

In response to recent studies linking male circumcision to lower HIV infection rates, health and human rights activists are warning that circumcision should not be used as a tool to combat the spread of HIV. Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin, a protective and highly erogenous zone of tissue that covers the penis.
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) February 3, 2005 -- In response to recent studies linking male circumcision to lower HIV infection rates, health and human rights activists are warning that circumcision should not be used as a tool to combat the spread of HIV. Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin, a protective and highly erogenous zone of tissue that covers the penis.“Preventive circumcision makes even less sense than preventive mastectomy,” said Matthew Hess, President of San Diego based MGMbill.org. “Preventive breast removal would actually prevent many cancers, while virtually all those exposed repeatedly to HIV will still contract the virus, circumcised or not. And despite the findings of a new study in Kenya, circumcision clearly has not been effective in controlling the spread of HIV in the United States."MGMbill.org is a group pushing to add gender neutral language to a U.S. law that bans circumcision of girls under the age of 18. The study referenced by Hess appeared in the February 15, 2005, issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. It concluded that circumcised truck drivers in Kenya had a 0.5% chance of contracting HIV from an infected female partner, versus a 1.3% chance for intact men.Hess also criticized a recent $5.4 million grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to study the effects of male circumcision on HIV rates in Uganda. “The Gates Foundation has done a lot of good things for Africa over the years,” said Hess. “But this ill-conceived grant is helping to promote genital mutilation of males on a continent that is receiving aid from other agencies to eliminate female genital mutilation. I think it’s very counterproductive.”George Denniston, M.D., a retired professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said the HIV-circumcision link is weak at best. “The United States is one of the only developed nations that still routinely practices male circumcision, and yet the U.S. also has the highest rate of HIV infection among all developed countries. To suggest that circumcision should somehow be used as a tool to control HIV is highly irresponsible medicine, but that is what some of these studies seem to be doing.”Denniston has authored several books on the harmful effects of circumcision. He is also President of Doctors Opposing Circumcision, an international group of physicians that advises against circumcision because of the damage it causes to sexual function. The group also argues that circumcision of children is a violation of professional medical ethics and basic human rights.Brian O’Donnell, PA-C, MHS, of New Haven, Connecticut, said that research money would be better spent on ways to increase condom use, which is a proven way to prevent HIV. “Whether or not a man is circumcised, he has to wear a condom during sex to prevent the transmission of HIV from an infected partner. The most common reason men give for not wearing a condom is that it reduces sensation and pleasure. Removing the foreskin only reduces the sensation further.”O’Donnell said he is planning to enter into a research project designed to look at how circumcision has affected condom use in the U.S. and may be contributing to the high rate of sexually transmitted infections and HIV. “This may be what’s happening in the U.S., where 70% of 18-24 year olds are circumcised and the rates of HIV are 5 times that of Europe, where less than 1% of the men are circumcised. It also could explain why the rates of STD's and unintended pregnancies in the USA are up to 74 times higher than in Europe.”O’Donnell added that he sees less condom use among his male patients who are circumcised, and that their rate of STD diagnosis is higher than in intact men. He also warned that a false sense of security is already starting to take hold in Africa, where some people now mistakenly believe they can’t contract HIV if they are circumcised.

http://www.mgmbill.org