20,870
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
→Immunological functions: Revise text and Wikify.
The foreskin is highly vascularized. The high rate of blood flow helps to prevent infection.<ref name="fleiss-hodges-vanhowe1998"/>
Although claims have been made that the presence of the foreskin increases the risk of infection with [[Circumcision and HIV|human immune deficiency virus]] ([[HIV]]), that is not correct. The claims are based on the reported findings of three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that were carried out more than a decade ago in Africa. Boyle & Hill (2011) have shown these RCTs to be have significant methodological flaws and statistical errors that render their claims invalid.<ref name="boyle-hill2011">{{BoyleGJ HillG 2011}}</ref>[[HIV#Population-based_studies| Two massive population studies]] published in 2021 found that circumcision provided no protective effect.
Fleiss et al. noted the presence of [[Langerhans cells]] in the prepuce.<ref name="fleiss-hodges-vanhowe1998"/> De Witte et al. (2007) have discovered that Langerhans cells produce ''Langerin'', which is a "natural barrier to [[HIV]] infection".<ref>{{DeWitte etal 2007}}</ref>