RPGWW

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1 ... fight.html

It's not really an erotic/explitic topic, so I didn't think it warranted Unspoken, but I thought it was an interesting summary of some article abstracts that I perused a while ago during a conversation where I simply could not convince someone that (male) circumcision was anything but a barbaric genital mutilation procedure.

On the one hand, ok, they have some nice.... vague figures that make sense read as they're written for us.

However, from a logical stand point: What the fuck? o_O

No, no, seriously. I am confused and want to know how they decided this was a relevant factor in your risk for getting HIV. I don't see that there, and plan to research accordingly!

Wow.

Hold on, I think I need to order some more salt. I don't have quite enough to take with this particular article.

Here's one big study, and you can get the full text since it's available for free online.

Another abstract.

Here's yet another abstract. I could probably find a dozen more articles to link, or you can just browse the related links yourself.

Okay, so it is associated with (i.e. does not cause, necessarily) lesser percentages of HIV infection. Great. I guess that kind of makes sense, since I don't think scar tissue is particularly good for transmitting much of anything through the skin to blood vessels. But, I mean, even the article here says that it's not anything close to a guarantee, and it's probably largely instigated as a policy of encouragement so it looks like they're doing SOMETHING to combat this HIV menace, because obviously they weren't doing anything to help before, just talk talk talk. Did you even hear what they were saying? "Stop having unprotected sex with ten different partners?" Are they nuts? You can do better than that, WHO! We don't want prevention, we want a cure!

I don't think the WHO actually sits around and works on that. Even if they did, it's already something that lots of other people are (presumably) working on at any given moment. Furthermore, this is a meta-analysis of studies, so they didn't do anything except look at studies that were already done (some committee, presumably) and say "you know, there's evidence that this is a good idea. Let's officially give it the thumbs up."

There're a lot of antiretroviral drugs that are making HIV infection a hell of a lot more manageable (though it's still not an awesome place to be) than it used to be; at this point, partly because of how rapidly the virus can mutate and become resistant to drug therapy, the immediate goal is to make advanced HIV disease a manageable chronic illness as opposed to a mortal one.

There are, like, a billion other things wrong regarding the present situation in Africa as far as the spread of HIV goes, but if getting everybody circumcised drops rates by a third or whatever I can't see why you wouldn't do it. It would obviously be fantastic if people used condoms and weren't convinced that having sex with virgins was the cure for AIDS, but these are the kinds of obstacles that any attempt to treat HIV in Africa faces.

I can see it now, this is how it really happened:

God: So, you know that flap of skin on your wang?

Jews: Yeah.

God: Cut it off.

Jews: What? We're not allowed to cut our hair with scissors, but you want us to give our peckers a slice and dice?

God: Well, I'm not supposed to say this, but it'll pay off.

Jews: How is that going to help us out?

God: See, in about...four thousand years or so, there's going to be a disease that you get if you screw people.

Jews: So?

God: Well, if you do this, then it'll be harder for you to get this disease.

Jews: That's great. Provided our race survives 4,000 years, our great grandchildren can screw with impudence.

God: Listen, just do it. Hey, I'll make a deal.

Jews: Deal? We're listening.

God: If you do this...I'll allow you to have milk with fish. I'll just look the other way.

Jews: Sold! Schlomo, get the knife!

Or as the reduced Shakespeare Company put it:

God: "Are you happy to be in the land of milk and honey?"
Jews: "Oh yes Lord, it's wonderful here!"
God: "Would you give me anything to stay here?"
Jews: "You name it Lord!"
God: "Very well, I want your foreskin."
Jews: "Er...why o Lord?"
God: "Because I say so."