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}}</ref> without any kind of proof whatsoever.
In 1986, Fink sent a letter to the ''New England Journal of Medicine'' titled "A possible Explanation for Heterosexual Male Infection with [[AIDS]]," where he argued that the hard and toughened glans of the circumcised male resisted infection, while the soft and sensitive foreskin and glans [[mucosa ]] of the intact male were ports of entry.<ref>{{REFjournal
|last=Fink
|first=Aaron J.
==== Keratinization hypothesis ====
Perhaps the oldest hypothesis on the mechanism whereby circumcision prevents the transmission of [[HIV]] is the theory that suggests that the [[Keratinization| keratinized]] surface of the penis in circumcised male resists infection, while the [[mucosa ]] of the glans and inner of the intact male are ports of entry, which was purported by [[Aaron J. Fink]].
Recent studies, however, disprove this hypothesis. One study found that there is "no difference between the keratinization of the inner and outer aspects of the adult male foreskin," and that "keratin layers alone were unlikely to explain why [[uncircumcised]] men are at higher risk for [[HIV]] infection."<ref>{{REFjournal
==== Langerhans cell hypothesis ====
Recent circumcision studies in Africa were conducted under the hypothesis that the [[Langerhans cells]] were the prime port of entry for the [[HIV]] virus. According to the hypothesis, circumcision was supposed to prevent [[HIV]] transmission by removing the Langerhans cells found in the inner mucosal [[mucosa]]l lining of the foreskin.
deWitte found that not only are Langerhans cells found all over the body and that their complete removal is virtually impossible, but furthermore, deWitte found that Langerhans cells that are present in the [[foreskin]] produce ''Langerin'', a substance that has been proven to kill the [[HIV]] virus on contact, acting as a natural barrier to HIV-1 transmission by Langerhans cells.<ref>{{REFjournal
== The immunological function of the foreskin ==
The foreskin's inner fold and the glans of the penis are comprised of [[Preputial mucosa| mucous membrane]] tissue. These are also present in your eyes, mouth, and all other bodily orifices including the female genitals. These are the first line of immunological defense for the body's orifices. These mucous membranes perform many immunological and hygienic functions.
Certain components such as [[Langerhans cells]],<ref>{{REFjournal