Role of circumcision in HIV prevention under microscope

US researchers are studying thousands of Ugandan men to investigate whether male circumcision could help protect the respondents against contracting HIV. According to BBC World Service, about 3,000 HIV-negative Ugandan males will participate in a clinical trial in which some men will be circumcised and others will not. Previous studies have shown that circumcised African men are less likely to contract the HI virus compared to their uncircumcised counterparts. However, it is still unclear if circumcision itself safeguards against infection or the fact that most men in the region are Muslim and tend to have fewer extramarital sex partners. The researchers will follow both groups of men to see if there is a difference in HIV prevalence.