Male circumcision can protect against cervical cancer
Women are at less of a risk of cervical cancer if their sexual partners have been circumcised, three new studies have concluded.
Circumcised men have double the protection against Aids and the virus that causes cervical cancer.
Both men and women can catch human papilloma virus (HPV), the virus that causes cervical cancer, if they have sex with someone who has it.
The virus is extremely common, with about half of all women becoming infected with it at some stage of their life.
Condoms can help but this new research shows that women are less likely to catch it if their partner has been circumcised.
One of the studies, conducted by Dr. Bertran Auvert of the University of Versailles in France, found that after testing 1,200 men, 15% of the circumcised men had HPV, whilst 22% of the uncircumcised men were infected.
'This finding explains why women with circumcised partners are at a lower risk of cervical cancer than other women,' he said.
Cervical cancer kills 300,000 women globally each year.
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