Considerations in the role of male circumcision in the prevention of HIV transmission in the USA

Abstract

Male circumcision (MC) has been associated with a reduced risk for female–male HIV transmission in observational and ecological studies, as well as clinical trials. Three recent randomized, controlled trials in sub-Saharan Africa demonstrated a 50–60% reduction in HIV incidence among men randomized to circumcision compared with uncircumcised men. In 2007, WHO/UNAIDS recommended that MC be recognized as an additional efficacious intervention to prevent sexual transmission of HIV from women to men. This article reviews information on the potential role of MC for HIV prevention in the USA where, compared with the African clinical trial countries, the prevalence of HIV infection is lower, the main route of HIV transmission is male–male sex rather than heterosexual sex and the prevalence of MC is higher.