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This paper explores ethical considerations for active studies of circumcision, i.e., the amputation of the foreskin, in the form of a case study of three major trials performed in African countries in the early 2000s. The paper outlines the function of the foreskin and method and history of its amputation as well as its current use in attempting to combat the global AIDS crisis. These trials are then interrogated in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. In particular, the irreversible nature of amputation is given great consideration. The case studies are found to have serious failures in terms of the modern iteration of the Declaration of Helsinki. This paper calls for extreme scrutiny in accordance with international norms relating to the ethical treatment of human subjects in a research context of studies of circumcision if and when they are proposed again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article comments on the paper by John Caldwell, Pat Caldwell and Pat Quiggin, which posited the existence of a distinct and internally coherent African system embracing sexuality, marriage and much else. These authors argued that this system characterized by extensive female sexual freedom, stands in sharp contrast to the corresponding Western system, designated the Eurasian system in a term borrowed from Jack Goody. If this thesis is correct, they assert, it follows that the African system will be vulnerable to attack by all coital-related disorders and thus to AIDS. Caldwell and his coauthors present their argument in two sections. In the first, they attempt to show the existence of a distinct African sexual system by discussing its principal characteristics, namely the absence of moral and institutional limitations on sexual practices, especially concerning women. In the second, the authors discuss the character of this sexual system as an important factor in the spread of AIDS. They describe sexual practices quantitatively and qualitatively by evaluating the frequency of encounters with different partners and by identifying the sexual networks in which individuals are involved.

The Food and Agriculture Organization states that ‘the most affected African countries could lose up to 26% of their agricultural labor force within two decades. As agriculture still represents a large proportion of the gross domestic product, this loss in labor could have severe impacts on national economies’ (FAO). Yet, the two quantitative studies presented indicate that the impacts are not only difficult to measure, but that they may be less significant than might be expected when considered at the aggregate level of community (Jayne et al.; Dorward, Mwale, and Tuseo). Importantly, both authors also caution against the potentially spurious conclusion that under scenarios of minimal aggregate impact, households would also remain largely unaffected by HIV/AIDS. This paper discusses the key findings of these two studies and highlights the gaps in the knowledge base and the methodological challenges of conducting research of this kind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites studies that analyze the relation of orphanhood to the occurrence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS in Africa. One paper draws upon an exceptional Tanzanian two-period data set. This data set may illuminate on the effects of orphanhood on human capital formation. Another issue refers to the cost of orphanhood to an economy over time, or the trade-off between allocating resources to mitigate the negative effects of orphanhood directly and investing in HIV/AIDS mitigation. It is found that HIV/AIDS can have a large negative impact on total factor productivity.