August 21, 2007 Uncircumcised men who wash their penises
directly after having unprotected sex may be at a heightened
risk of contracting HIV, according to a new study. The research,
conducted in Uganda, studied more than 2,500 men and found that
those who washed within three minutes of having sex had a 2.3
percent risk of HIV infection, while those who waited at least
10 minutes had a 0.4 percent risk. Washing the penis after sex
is generally encouraged in Africa as a part of good hygiene;
some health experts have advocated the practice as a way of
removing vaginal fluids that could potentially enter the body
through an uncircumcised penis. Researchers don’t know why the
risk of infection increased after washing, but they say it might
be because men are washing off acidic vaginal secretions that
might prevent infection, or that the use of water may encourage
viral survival and transmission. [Go to top]