eLetters

217 e-Letters

  • Taq Polymerase vs. Ampli Taq Gold Polymerase for Trichomonas vaginalis PCR detection.
    Robert H. Gilman

    Dear Editor

    The article by Crucitti et al.[1] evaluated five PCR techniques for Trichomonas vaginalis including the one published by our group (Mayta et al. [2]). The authors however did not follow the protocol we published and so got results that we consider to be erroneous.

    In our work we used simple Taq polymerase while Crucitti used Taq gold for this purpose. He did this without chang...

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  • HIV epidemic among Caribbeans in Britain: half-gay or half-straight?
    Ford CI Hickson

    Dear Editor

    Nicola Low [1] is right to highlight the need to consider the number of HIV diagnoses made in Britain in each ethnic group in light of the size of that ethnic group.

    For some years we have been told ad infinitum that the number of diagnoses of heterosexually acquired HIV has ‘out-stripped’ the number of homosexually acquired diagnoses, as if that indicated some kind of equivalence of impa...

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  • HIV testing: providing information
    Peter G Watson

    Dear Editor

    I agree with Dr Carne that the requirement to offer 90% (next year 100%) of our new patients an HIV test precludes us from offering everyone discussion about the HIV test as recommended by the UK Departments of Health in their Guidelines on HIV Pre-test Discussion.[1] However, the guidelines still include the statement that for, "individuals actively seeking an HIV test for the first occasion, here a...

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  • Re: Theory and Practice
    Christopher A Carne

    Dear Editor

    I am grateful for Dr Watson's generous comments.

    I agree that presenting an appropriate amount of written information to substitute for an HIV pre-test discussion is problematical. We introduced such a system with some misgivings but felt that it was the only way that we could comply with the Royal College of Physicians second Speciality Specific Standard without seriously disrupting the se...

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  • Author's reply
    Devinder Mohan Thappa

    Dear Editor

    It appears as if the lesion is present on the dorsal aspect of the penis since the fingers at the root of the penis rotating it are not seen. Actually the lesion was present on the ventral aspect of the penis only. Since the penis was rotated by 90 degree at its root for easy photography, in the photograph it looks different. So the legend put for the figure is correct.

  • The anatomical position
    Hugo L McClean

    Dear Editor

    In this otherwise excellent description the site of the lesion is referred to as ventral, when it should be dorsal. In the anatomical position, the penis is erect.

  • Theory and Practice
    Peter G Watson

    Dear Editor

    This article, and that by Bradbeer and Mears, are to be applauded. Their value will be all the greater if specific examples of the recommendations are shared and adopted by the specialty. In particular I would be interested to see a brief information sheet that can replace verbal discussion about HIV testing and still deliver the recommended five main components of pre-test discussion.[1] I have tried...

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  • HIV and Circumcision: New Factors to Consider
    George Hill

    Dear Editor

    Kebaabetswe et al0. obviously believe the conventional wisdom that heterosexual sex is the major vector for the transmission/reception of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and that male circumcision is an effective deterrent to infection.[1]> Based on that belief, they have constructed an elaborate and impressive study of the acceptability of circumcision as a prophylactic measure in Botswana. Fu...

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  • Issues associated with the introduction of circumcision into a non-circumcising society
    Gregory J. Boyle

    Dear Editor

    A team lead by Kebaabetswe propose the introduction of infant circumcision in Botwana, based on:

    1. a survey of its acceptability to Batswana,
    2. its practice in certain Western nations, and
    3. its alleged value in preventing HIV infection.[1]

    There are several medical, psychological, sexual, social, ethical, and legal problems with this pro...

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  • Male circumcision as prophylaxis
    Dennis C Harrison

    Dear Editor

    As a strategy for preventing sexually transmitted infections, surgical reduction of genital tissue has its drawbacks. Taylor et al. found that circumcision removes "an important component of the overall sensory mechanism of the human penis" [1] Winkelmann described the prepuce as a "specific erogenous zone".[2] Fink et al. found a statistically significant decrease in penile sensation following...

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