Implications for anal intercourse unclear
Uncircumcised men who wash their penis less than 10 minutes after vaginal sex may increase their risk of acquiring HIV, suggests a study released at an International AIDS Society conference on Jul 25.
But it's unclear whether gay men should stop washing their cock after play, suggests Jim Pickett, an HIV activist and writer.
The study, led by a team from the Makere University Institute Of Public Health in Uganda, examined 2,552 uncircumcised Ugandan men. The survey focused only on vaginal intercourse, and did not examine whether the results apply to anal intercourse as well.
"Sometimes, these studies are kind of like the latest fad. We all run around like 'we should stop washing our penises,' and 'oh my god, syphilis is back,'" says Pickett.
The findings of the Ugandan survey suggest:
- post-intercourse penile washing does not protect uncircumcised men from acquiring HIV
- HIV-incidence is significantly lower if washing was delayed more than 10 minutes after sexual intercourse
- washing is associated with a "borderline significant trend" of increasing risk of acquiring HIV
Researchers offered a few possible explanations: the acidity of vaginal secretions may impair HIV survival. The research also suggests that the use of water with soap may facilitate survival of the virus. But the researchers admitted the survey's limitations — it did not ask for details about how the washing was done or what kind of soap was used. Pickett says he questions whether the increased HIV rates were really just because the men were "washing their dicks off."
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