Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Jun 19;30(10):1669-73.
doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000001097.

Postcoital penile washing and the risk of HIV acquisition in uncircumcised men

Fredrick E Makumbi  1 , Victor Ssempijja, Joseph Sekasanvu, Robert Ssekubugu, Godfrey Kigozi, Stephen Watya, Gertrude Nakigozi, David Serwadda, Maria Wawer, Ronald H Gray
Affiliations

Postcoital penile washing and the risk of HIV acquisition in uncircumcised men

Fredrick E Makumbi et al. AIDS. .

Abstract

Background: Postcoital genital washing by uncircumcised men may affect the risk of male HIV acquisition.

Method: We assessed the association between self-reported washing after sex in 2976 initially HIV-negative, uncircumcised men enrolled in a prospective cohort study in Rakai, Uganda.

Results: Data from the 2976 participants who reported sexual intercourse in the past 12 months contributed 4290 visits, with 7316.6 person-years of observation during the 2-year follow-up. The overall HIV-incidence was 1.28/100 person-years 95%CI (1.04-1.57). About 91.0% of men reported washing their penis after sex, and their HIV incidence was 1.34/100 person-years (95%CI 1.08-1.66), compared with an incidence of 0.62/100 person-years (95%CI 0.17-1.60) in men who did not wash their penis after intercourse. Using Poisson multivariable regression, the adjusted incidence rate ratio of HIV acquisition associated with postcoital washing was 1.94 (95%CI 0.71-5.29).

Conclusion: Postcoital penile washing, as practiced in this rural African population does not afford protection from HIV acquisition among uncircumcised men, and may increase risk.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types