Govt cautious on promoting circumcision for preventing HIV/AIDS

Toronto, Aug 16 (UNI) Even though HIV/AIDS research has shown that male circumcision could play an effective role in reducing the transmission of infection, Indian government has adopted a cautious approach on the issue due to its social and religious implication.

''It (male circumcision) is not our priority. Moreover, there is not much scientific validation available about its effectiveness as HIV/AIDS prevention tools,'' Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said when asked about the government's stand on the emerging consensus among the scientific community about the effectiveness of circumcision as HIV prevention tool.

Even HIV/AIDS activists have advised caution on the issue of implementing this method in India in view of the political and social ramifications.

''Already Hindu religious leaders have started saying that this is a ploy to convert everyone to Islam. So we would advise caution to be adopted in case of India as there could be political and social backlash on the issue,'' said Shivanand Khan of the Naz Foundation Intenrational which works for the rights of Men Having Sex with Men group.

Pointing out that MSM is banned under law in India and already his organisation and he himself were receiving threats from various quarters for promoting use of condoms among these marginalized groups to prevent HIV/AIDS, he said ''I have already received death threats many times, I don't want to get it again on this issue.'' Meanwhile, scientists and researchers working on HIV/AIDS have repeatedly named circumcision as an effective tool along with mircobicides and condoms as a means to prevent transmission of HIV infection.

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