Would the U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) support efforts to upscale circumcision?
Fleming: Shortly after the trial results were announced, Ambassador Mark Dybul issued a statement, part of which says: “PEPFAR is awaiting normative guidance from international organizations or other normative bodies, and thereafter will support implementation of safe medical male circumcision for HIV/AIDS prevention based on requests from host governments and in keeping with their national policies and guidelines. It is important that male circumcision be safely provided and that it be integrated into, and not substituted for, a comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention program.” No country has adopted a public health policy on circumcision, though several African countries are in consultations over how to do so. What are the risks in making circumcision part of a government’s policy? Fleming: The risks of circumcision itself are the immediate side effects (pain and infection). Fortunately, these seem to be relatively low risks if the procedure is done carefully in a health facility, with pro
