WHO agrees HIV plan

THE World Health Organisation and UNAIDS said circumcision should be added to current interventions to reduce the spread of HIV.

Three African trials have shown that circumcision halved the rate of HIV infection in heterosexual men. The recommendations largely apply to countries where rates of heterosexual transmission is high.Experts warned that greater use of circumcision would not replace the need for other prevention methods, such as condoms.But modelling studies have shown that if male circumcision was more widely available, millions of lives, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa would be saved.WHO and UNAIDS said access to the procedure should be urgently scaled up in areas with high rates of heterosexual infection and low rates of male circumcision.But warned that it was an additional intervention and would not replace programmes providing HIV testing, or prevention or treatment for sexually infected infections.Men and their partners must also be given counselling to prevent them developing a false sense of security, they said.BBCThe recommendations largely apply to countries where rates of heterosexual transmission is high.Experts warned that greater use of circumcision would not replace the need for other prevention methods, such as condoms.But modelling studies have shown that if male circumcision was more widely available, millions of lives, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa would be saved.WHO and UNAIDS said access to the procedure should be urgently scaled up in areas with high rates of heterosexual infection and low rates of male circumcision.But warned that it was an additional intervention and would not replace programmes providing HIV testing, or prevention or treatment for sexually infected infections.Men and their partners must also be given counselling to prevent them developing a false sense of security, they said.BBC