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The case for boosting infant male circumcision in the face of rising heterosexual transmission of HIV

David A Cooper, Alex D Wodak and Brian J Morris
Med J Aust 2010; 193 (6): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03940.x
Published online: 20 September 2010

Circumcision now to prevent heterosexual HIV transmission in 2030 makes sense

Australia is rightly proud of its response to HIV. Thanks to superb formulation of public policy in the early days of the epidemic, it is not only a low-prevalence country but an international leader in many aspects of its clinical and public health responses. To maintain this fine record, Australia should change policy so that infant male circumcision rates are boosted in the face of rising heterosexual transmission of HIV.


  • 1 University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW.
  • 2 St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, NSW.
  • 3 School of Medical Sciences and Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW.


Correspondence: dcooper@nchecr.unsw.edu.au

  • 1. National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research. HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia: annual surveillance report 2009. http://www.nchecr.unsw.edu.au/NCHECRweb.nsf/resources/SurvReports_3/$file/ASR2009-updated-2.pdf (accessed Aug 2010).
  • 2. World Health Organization, UNAIDS. New data on male circumcision and HIV prevention: policy and programme implications. 28 Mar 2007. http://www.who.int/hiv/mediacentre/MCrecommendations_en.pdf (accessed Aug 2010).
  • 3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Male circumcision and risk for HIV transmission and other health conditions: implications for the United States [CDC HIV/AIDS science facts]. Atlanta: CDC, 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/circumcision.htm (accessed Aug 2010).
  • 4. Smith DK, Taylor A, Kilmarx PH, et al. Male circumcision in the United States for the prevention of HIV infection and other adverse health outcomes: report from a CDC consultation. Public Health Rep 2010; 125 Suppl 1: 72-82.
  • 5. Morris BJ. Why circumcision is a biomedical imperative for the 21st century. Bioessays 2007; 29: 1147-1158.
  • 6. Tobian AA, Gray RH, Quinn TC. Male circumcision for the prevention of acquisition and transmission of sexually transmitted infections: the case for neonatal circumcision. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2010; 164: 78-84.
  • 7. Reynolds SJ, Shepherd ME, Risbud AR, et al. Male circumcision and risk of HIV-1 and other sexually transmitted infections in India. Lancet 2004; 363: 1039-1040.
  • 8. Wamai RG, Weiss HA, Hankins C, et al. Male circumcision is an efficacious, lasting and cost-effective strategy for combating HIV in high-prevalence AIDS epidemics [letter]. Future HIV Ther 2008; 2: 399-405.
  • 9. Klausner JD, Wamai RG, Bowa K, et al. Is male circumcision as good as the HIV vaccine we’ve been waiting for [editorial]? Future HIV Ther 2008; 2: 1-7.
  • 10. Morris BJ, Bailis SA, Castellsague X, et al. RACP’s policy statement on infant male circumcision is ill-conceived. Aust N Z J Public Health 2006; 30: 16-22.
  • 11. Schoen EJ, Colby CJ, To TT. Cost analysis of neonatal circumcision in a large health maintenance organization. J Urol 2006; 175: 1111-1115.

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