Minsk - Officials from Belarus' Ministry of Health on Friday formally rejected the idea of circumcising most men in the former Soviet republic as a means of controlling the spread of the HIV virus. "This is not something we are considering," said Mikahil Rizhma, a government spokesman, according to a Korrespondent magazine article. "In our opinion using a condom is much more effective."
Rizhma had been responding to reports in local media of a secret Health Ministry review of studies showing chances of HIV infection fall by up to 60 per cent, if most men in the country are circumcised.
News reports of a possible plan to mandate circumcision operations for most men had caused consternation in Belarus, as the state-run health system routinely administers flu vaccines en masse to government workers, whether they wish it or not.
"There is no such plan," Rizhma said. "We recommend conventional means of prevention."
Circumcision is rare in Belarus, with an estimated one per cent of men having undergone the operation.
HIV-consciousness is low in the country, with most health officials treating the disease as an infection endangering intravenous drug users, but not the general population.
HIV infection approaches epidemic levels neighbouring Russia and Ukraine. Belarus' government has released statistics purporting to show only a tiny portion of the Belarusian population is infected - a position considered questionable by most international health organizations.
