Men do not engage in riskier behaviors after they are circumcised, according to a study in Kenya by University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health researchers, Dr. Nelli Westercamp and Dr. Robert Bailey.

Three clinical trials have shown that male circumcision significantly reduces the risk of acquiring HIV in young African men. However, some experts have suggested that circumcision, if promoted as an HIV preventive, may increase promiscuity or decrease condom use. This ‘risk compensation’ could diminish the effectiveness of medical male circumcision programs.

The new study, published online July 21 in the journal AIDS and Behavior, is the first population-level longitudinal assessment of risk compensation associated with adult male circumcision.

Read more: http://news.uic.edu/circumcision-does-not-promote-risky-behavior-by-african-men