The Original Study
The studies present the results of a randomised controlled trial conducted to assess the effects of male circumcision on high-risk HPV incidence and prevalence among female partners. The trial was implemented in Rakai, Uganda between 2003-2006. Over 1200 HIV-negative men were enrolled and randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The treatment group was offered to have a circumcision immediately and the control group was offered to have a circumcision 24 months later. Their female partners, also HIV-negative, were enrolled at the same time and provided vaginal swabs at baseline, 12 and 24 months. To analyse the data, they used an intent-to-treat approach. At the 24-month follow up, 38.7 per cent of the females in the control group had high-risk HPV infection, while only 27.8 per cent of the women in the intervention group had the infection. The authors conclude that male circumcision is an efficacious intervention for reducing HPV infections in female partners