answer the question of whether or not HIV

When this trial was stopped for futility because it lacked the power to answer the question of whether or not HIV-positive men who get circumcised are less likely to transmit HIV, it became clear that we would likely never know the definitive answer to this question. However, a key insight gained from the trial is the importance of sexual abstinence until complete wound healing. Premature resumption of sex may delay wound healing, increase the risk that a man may acquire a new HIV infection, and increase the risk of HIV transmission to sexual partners. These researchers previously found that 93% of HIV-positive men circumcised at CD4 › 350 cells were healed by 6 weeks post-circumcision. However, in this trial, 22% of couples resumed sex early and 25% of the men had not disclosed their HIV status, underscoring the importance of joint couple counselling and testing to learn serostatus and plan abstinence strategies for the healing period.