An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

The DC Fights Back/C2EA Consensus Document on male circumcision as an HIV prevention strategy has been submitted to the Department of Health HIV/AIDS Administration. Click here to read the consensus statement. There is also an article on male circumcision in this month's ACTION Newsletter. I also brought this up in my group at the Mayor's Summit on HIV/AIDS, so I expect to see it in the outcome document from that meeting.

I was at Howard University Hospital for the IMPAACT Community Advisory Board meeting, and I had a chance to discuss this issue with medical professionals there. It's pretty clear to me that there are folks who don't get circumcised not because they don't want it, but because it's not covered by their insurance and they don't have the money. This is a case where a small investment in this procedure could have a tremendous impact on the health and well being of District Residents, not to mention the bottom line. A circumcision procedure is a heck of a lot cheaper than a lifetime of HIV meds.

For a group of DC residents who would opt to be circumcised and are at risk for HIV by heterosexual transmission, we know that we can cut that risk in half. To ignore this fact is simply unconscionable.