tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post3285329242376148959..comments2023-10-08T12:27:04.050+03:00Comments on HIV in Kenya: What do Media Censorship and Manipulation, Gates, the BBC and Circumcision Have in Common?Simonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-14292070169393596252017-01-31T08:26:49.468+03:002017-01-31T08:26:49.468+03:00The article is about concerted attempts by an NGO ...The article is about concerted attempts by an NGO to ensure that the media is always biased towards circumcision. However, HIV prevalence was roughly the same in both countries at the time, circumcision rates were completely different. I'm sure you're right, a 'correctly' constituted RCT would do...etc, but there is plenty of academic criticism of the three well publicized RCTs in question. To repeat, this article is not about giving equal status to positive and negative stories about circumcision, but about bias towards circumcision and attempts to repress anything about remaining uncircumcised. I don't see the relevance of Thabo Mbeki and I think maybe you just want him to be relevant to make your argument sound more convincing. He was persuaded that HIV does not cause AIDS and would not accept claims that he was wrong. But the claims about circumcision are not based on 'properly constituted trials' and even much of the criticism of Mbeki is ad hominem, not based on anything but pre-agreed biases. He was wrong. But he was hijacked by people with an axe to grind and then mocked by people with an entirely different axe to grind. If they had all stuck to science it is likely Mbeki would not have raised any objections in the first place.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-88189398767137632242017-01-30T23:28:39.207+03:002017-01-30T23:28:39.207+03:00I am interested in 2 points you have made. (1) How...I am interested in 2 points you have made. (1) How do you conclude from comparing HIV rates in Kenya and HIV rates in Uganda that circumcision is not effective? A correctly constituted RCT would draw data from the same group of people, differing only by being circumcised or not. Uganda is a very different country to Kenya. (2) You seem to gove positive and negative stories about VMMC equal status. This reminds me of the same argument being applied by the AIDS denialists, esp Thabo Mbeki. Once the science is settled using properly constituted trials then there is no equal rights to be given to nonsense media V that grounded in good science.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01661049348446342292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-74147467492491426772013-11-12T05:41:25.080+03:002013-11-12T05:41:25.080+03:00Thanks Jeff, I think the circumcision promoters th...Thanks Jeff, I think the circumcision promoters thought they could use Kenya and Uganda as poster children and then carry out mass circumcision in countries where there is no difference in prevalence between circumcised and uncircumcised men or where prevalence is higher among circumcised men, such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania. In Kenya, and possibly parts of Uganda, there is a long running opposition to uncircumcised men holding high office, which helps circumcision promoters a good deal. It was that opposition that persuaded Raila Odinga to either be circumcised or declare that he had already been circumcised. Many other traditional and political Luo leaders are said to have followed his lead. However, it didn't work, the election this year again went against him.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-35203541388264368932013-11-12T05:39:43.407+03:002013-11-12T05:39:43.407+03:00This comment has been removed by the author.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-45796983072678450492013-11-11T23:26:28.144+03:002013-11-11T23:26:28.144+03:00With 87% of the men in Kenya already circumcised, ...With 87% of the men in Kenya already circumcised, they are beating a dead horse. The funny story that never gets told is that when the 3 RCTs were conducted, the HIV rate in 85% circumcised Kenya was actually higher than in neighboring uncircumcised Uganda (where only 25% were circumcised). Cutters don't worry about facts, they just want to cut everyone.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17311991483335390800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-79980164702072062012013-11-11T16:26:17.818+03:002013-11-11T16:26:17.818+03:00Thanks Hugh, I saw the story on Twitter so I tweet...Thanks Hugh, I saw the story on Twitter so I tweeted the missing information but haven't had any response. @Internews may well have had something to do with censoring, but maybe it was just a stupid editor, who knew he should mention that HIV prevalence is higher among circumcised men but didn't know how to hide it, a poor piece of redaction! He wouldn't have lasted in the Polit Bureau or the Nazis, but he'd be fine at the BBC.<br />Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13522180315970081603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8229878121183426722.post-90773481757111397832013-11-11T12:53:31.476+03:002013-11-11T12:53:31.476+03:00A story in The Standard, Zimbabwe, about circumcis...A story in The Standard, Zimbabwe, about circumcised men rejecting condoms and consequently becoming infected with HIV, says<br /><br />"According to the 2010/2011 Zimbabwe Health Demographic Survey (ZDHS), 14% of circumcised men in the country between the ages of 15 and 49 years contracted HIV as compared to those uncircumcised."<br /><br />(http://www.thestandard.co.zw/2013/11/10/circumcised-men-indulge-risky-sexual-behaviour/ )<br /><br />Was this <b>deliberately</b> garbled? What is missing is “..as compared to <b>12%</b> of those uncircumcised.” A 2005 survey found 16.6% and 14.2%.. In other words, circumcision has conferred no protection whatsoever on the men surveyed.<br /><br />Is this part of the same intra-media campaign to say nothing against circumcision?Hugh7http://www.circumstitions.comnoreply@blogger.com