Myths and misunderstandings about HIV/AIDS abound in large parts of the world, particularly where sex education is lacking and populations are left to create their own theories about the virus and disease. One such misunderstanding is that circumcision is 100 percent effective in preventing AIDS, leading many men to stop using condoms.

The notion isn't completely misguided -- in 2006 three African studies showed that circumcision can reduce the risk of contracting AIDS by 60 percent. Shortly thereafter, the World Health Organization recommended circumcision as a way to help stop the spread of AIDS.

Take that information, play a little game of "telephone" with it, and before long, you've got a lot of people with a lot of misinformation about a virus that infects more than 30 million people worldwide. And in some parts of Africa, more than 25 percent of the population is infected.

A new website hopes to correct misunderstandings and educate people about HIV and AIDS. Launched last week and created by the W.H.O., in conjunction with the United Nations AIDS program, the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, Family Health International and several American and British schools of public health Malecircumcision.org offers a wealth of useful information.

Now we just need to provide all the people who need the information most with access to the Internet.

[Image: Malecircumcision.org]