Circumcision – the surgery to remove the skin above the glans penis in men – is associated with a lower risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection for women, according to a new study conducted in Uganda. The human papillomavirus is the causative agent of cervical cancer. Previous research has shown that male circumcision has a protective effect against HIV and HPV infections. American scientists conducted a study in Kenya that found that circumcision reduces a man’s risk of contracting HIV by 64%. According to a French team of scientists, circumcision is an indirect way to limit genital cancers caused by HPV in women and can be promoted as a universal preventive measure against human papillomavirus. Data from the new study, published in the Lancet, shows that women have a 28% higher risk of contracting HPV when they have sex with a partner who has had the surgery, compared to a 39% risk when they have sex with a partner. avoided circumcision. According to the authors of the study, the reduced amount of human papilloma virus in the penis after circumcision may explain why it helps reduce the risk of HPV infection in women.