THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CIRCUMCISION STATUS AND HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS INFECTION AMONG HOMOSEXUAL MEN

To evaluate whether uncircumcised status is correlated with acquisitio n of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 502 homosexual men were surve yed; 85% were circumcised. HIV infection was significantly associated with uncircumcised status (odds ratio [OR], 2.2; 95% confidence interv al [CI], 1.2, 3.8), nonwhite race, intravenous drug use, sexual contac t with an intravenous drug user, number of male partners, frequency of unprotected receptive anal intercourse, and with history of genital h erpes, anal herpes, or syphilis. Uncircumcised status was significantl y associated with older age, nonwhite race, and history of syphilis; i t was inversely associated with intravenous drug use. Using logistic r egression analysis, the adjusted OR for the association between HIV in fection and uncircumcised status was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.0, 4.0). Uncircumc ised homosexual men had 2-fold increased risk of HIV infection. The ro le of circumcision as an intervention strategy to reduce sexual transm ission of HIV warrants consideration.