Baltimore: Uncircumcised men have an eight-fold higher risk of becoming infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that causes AIDS compared to circumcised men, according to a study of 2,298 Indian men.

The finding was presented on October 16 at the 41st annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America by Steven Reynolds of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.

The research was part of a larger study investigating risk factors for HIV-1 infection based on men attending one of three sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinics in Pune.

Between 1993 and 2000, 2,298 men who tested negative for HIV-1 were enrolled in the study. During subsequent visits (an average of three visits in 11 months), 2 of 191 men who were circumcised and 165 of 2,107 who were uncircumcised tested positive for HIV.

Demographics, sexual risk behaviours (including having sex with a prostitute), and condom use were remarkably similar between both groups, said Reynolds.

Despite the similarity in risk profiles, researchers determined the incidence rate of HIV-1 among circumcised men was 0.7 per cent, whereas among uncircumcised men it was 5.5 per cent, an 8-fold increase.

PTI