Q and A

Question

Can I get circumcised if I am HIV positive?

31 March 2008. Related: All topics, HIV transmission, Living with HIV long-term.

Answer

Answer: Simon Collins

Being HIV positive shouldn’t stop you getting circumcised if you want to.

If you want to get circumcised, this may reduce the risk of some sexually transmitted infections to either yourself or your partners.

However, it will not reduce the risk of you passing HIV to your sexual partners.
If you decide to get circumcised, then make sure you do NOT have sex until the surgery has completely healed. One study showed that having sex too early after the operation increased the risk of a partner catching HIV.

26 comments

  1. Robin Jakob •

    Your CD4 count, or the fact you have HIV should not stop you getting circumcised. Please have a read of the answer above for more information.

  2. sbu •

    My CD4 is 330, can i get circumcised?

  3. Robin Jakob •

    Hi,

    You can read the answer above for more information about circumcision and being HIV positive – there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to get circumcised.

  4. Smanga •

    I’ve been answered already, I wanted to ask if it’s possible to be circumcised if you’re infected with the virus. I find it to be a bit unfair for people who are infected to not have the same right of being circumcised as the one’s who aren’t. I that raising the stigma that we are trying to fight and don’t you think they are being isolated from the society by doing so.

  5. Simon Collins •

    The term HIV-free generation (or AIDS-free generation) has been widely used in the media over the last couple of years.

    Originally, and usually, this refers to getting to a point where there are no new infections. Sometimes it is also used in the context of a cure.

    Either way, both are still a long way away. More than 30 million people globally are HIV positive and more than 10 million are on treatment.

    Unfortunately, new infections are still common, even when in some countries and in some populations, rates of new infections are going down.

    Also, a cure, while the focus of exciting research, is likely to be at least ten years away, even if this becomes possible.

  6. Joe •

    Is it possible to have an HIV-free generation?

  7. Simon Collins •

    Hi

    Your post seems to refer to two different things.

    Firstly there is the question of being circumcised. This needs to be a trained medical circumcision in order to be safe. After the procedure the clinic where this is done will saw how long someone needs to allow for the healing before they have sex. This is usually about 6 weeks but it may take longer as it depends on the procedure. Please ask your doctor these questions as s/he will know your circumstances better.

    Waiting this time for the proper healing is very important as until it is healed the risk of catching HIV is much higher.

    This general information on aftercare looks okay and may help.

    The second part of your question refers to sores. This is something different that a doctor needs to see in order to diagnose and treat.

  8. matho37 •

    Wil the wound be healed after doing circumcission if a man is HIV positive and have sores in his private part

  9. Rebecca McDowall •

    Hi Sandile,
    Being HIV positive shouldn’t stop you getting circumcised if you want to.

  10. Sandile •

    I didn’t get my answer,if you are HIV positive you get circumcised?