Randomized, controlled intervention trial of male circumcision for reduction of HIV infection risk: the ANRS 1265 Trial.
BACKGROUND
Observational studies suggest that male circumcision may provide protection against HIV-1 infection. A randomized, controlled intervention trial was conducted in a general population of South Africa to test this hypothesis.


RESULTS
A total of 3,274 uncircumcised men, aged 18-24 y, were randomized to a control or an intervention group with follow-up visits at months 3, 12, and 21. Male circumcision was offered to the intervention group immediately after randomization and to the control group at the end of the follow-up. The grouped censored data were analyzed in intention-to-treat, univariate and multivariate, analyses, using piecewise exponential, proportional hazards models. Rate ratios (RR) of HIV incidence were determined with 95% CI. Protection against HIV infection was calculated as 1 - RR. The trial was stopped at the interim analysis, and the mean (interquartile range) follow-up was 18.1 mo (13.0-21.0) when the data were analyzed. There were 20 HIV infections (incidence rate = 0.85 per 100 person-years) in the intervention group and 49 (2.1 per 100 person-years) in the control group, corresponding to an RR of 0.40 (95% CI: 0.24%-0.68%; p < 0.001). This RR corresponds to a protection of 60% (95% CI: 32%-76%). When controlling for behavioural factors, including sexual behaviour that increased slightly in the intervention group, condom use, and health-seeking behaviour, the protection was of 61% (95% CI: 34%-77%).


CONCLUSIONS
Male circumcision provides a degree of protection against acquiring HIV infection, equivalent to what a vaccine of high efficacy would have achieved. Male circumcision may provide an important way of reducing the spread of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa. (Preliminary and partial results were presented at the International AIDS Society 2005 Conference, on 26 July 2005, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.).
Auvert
Bertran
B
Hôpital Ambroise-Paré, Assitance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Boulogne, France. bertran.auvert@apr.aphp.fr
Taljaard
Dirk
D
Lagarde
Emmanuel
E
Sobngwi-Tambekou
Joëlle
J
Sitta
Rémi
R
Puren
Adrian
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002944:Circumcision, Male; D017280:Condoms; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013019:South Africa; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014505:Urban Population