Chinese TakeAway: Circumcision against HIV in China?

CHINA CONSIDERING MALE CIRCUMCISION AS HIV PREVENTION

Anonymous HIV Testing No Longer Possible

China is considering evidence that routine male circumcision could reduce a man's risk of HIV infection but likely will not implement such a campaign nationwide, Ru Xiaomei, deputy Director General of China's National Population and Family Planning Commission, said.

Data from two studies conducted in Kenya and Uganda released last month indicates that routine male circumcision could reduce a man's HIV infection risk through heterosexual sex by about 50 per cent. In addition, a circumcised penis develops thicker skin that is resistant to HIV infection.

According to Ru, Chinese officials have seen the results of the studies conducted in Africa, but the "AIDS situation in China has not yet reached such a large scale (as in Africa)." She added, "I'm not yet totally certain about the evidence for circumcision. We should exercise caution."

The number of circumcisions performed in China is low compared with some Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan and Indonesia. In addition, a wide-scale male circumcision campaign might encounter resistance from China's non-Muslim majority, according to Ru. She added that the cost of such a campaign might present an issue because of China's 1.3 billion population, and that it would be easier to get the population to use condoms.

In related news China's Yunnan province has begun requiring people to provide their real names and contact information when taking HIV tests.

More than 150,000 people volunteered to take HIV tests in the province in 2006, an increase of 30,000 from the previous year. Providing real names and contact information will help medical workers provide follow-up treatment if people test HIV positive.

Assurances have been made that the privacy of those who are tested will be protected, saying that medical workers will be prosecuted if they reveal HIV positive people's personal information. Many people who take HIV tests give false personal information because of concerns related to stigma and discrimination.

Kaiser Network 19/Jan/07

 

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