Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Reuters (12.19.06) - Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Kamil Zahee
"These [African] countries should now prepare how to introduce circumcision on a large scale," said Piot. "We are faced with an absolute crisis where you have 20-40 percent of adults being HIV-positive. you need to use every scientifically proven method to bring down the new infections." According to UNAIDS, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa are among the region's countries hit worse by AIDS.
Piot said infants should be targeted first, and then countries should focus on adolescent boys and adult men. Noting that Jewish and Muslim males undergo circumcision in accordance with religious tradition, Piot said UNAIDS understands that advocating mass circumcision is a religious and culturally sensitive issue for many. "Changing that is touching very much on the core of values," acknowledged Piot. "That is going to make it more complicated than any other medical issue that I can think of."
While the introduction of large-scale circumcision has the potential to curb HIV's spread, Piot said countries in the region must continue to support other AIDS prevention strategies such as promoting abstinence and condom use.
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