Responding to questions on the just ended circumcision campaign that ran from December 12, 2012 to January 12 this year, National Male Circumcision Coordinator in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Sinokuthemba Xaba, said the response had been positive.
The results of the study will be publicised in due course.
The new device, Prepex, is a non-surgical procedure. At least nine African countries are conducting the Prepex study to establish whether it is the most effective means of male circumcision before the WHO adopts the practice. The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief paid for the study for about 2 500 men in Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation paid for similar studies in Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Xaba said since the inception of circumcision as a means to combat the spread of HIV the response has generally been good.
“Male circumcision is generally a new concept for most tribes in Zimbabwe and therefore some people had adopted a wait and see attitude. However, there has been lots of positive developments since the programme was introduced,” said Xaba. At the end of December 2012, about 90 000 people had been circumcised since the inception of the programme. Last year’s $6 million donation by the US government to Zimbabwe to expand the circumcision programme in the country has seen nearly 500 health workers receiving training on male circumcision.
Post published in: News
Zimbabwean men are *more* likely to have HIV if they’ve been circumcised:
12.5% of intact Zimbabwean men have HIV
14.6% of circumcised Malawian men have HIV
(figures from measuredhs dot com)
Other countries where circumcised men are *more* likely to be HIV+ include Cameroon, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, and Swaziland. That’s at least seven African countries where men are more likely to be HIV+ if they’ve been circumcised, and yet they’re promoting circumcision to prevent HIV. What will it take to stop this madness?
Europeans don’t circumcise, South Americans don’t circumcise, Australians and New Zealanders used to circumcise but stopped, most North Americans don’t circumcise. Why should Africans circumcise?
Condoms should be promoted and educate people about condom use. The millions in aid should help buy condoms and distribute them. Condoms is the only way to prevent HIV infection. Circumcision will not stop HIV infections, that’s already been debunked years ago.
“The CDC study surveyed roughly 4,900 men who had anal sex with HIV-positive male partners. The infection rate was about 3.5 percent whether the men were circumcised or not—there was no measurable difference. As the study concluded, circumcision “is not considered beneficial” in preventing the spread of HIV among MSM, meaning that the CDC is rethinking its guidelines. “
The HIV prevalence rate among circumcised males between the ages of 15 and 49 in Zimbabwe is higher than that of the uncircumcised males owing to the misconception that circumcision completely shields people from HIV infection.
According to the latest Zimbabwe Health Demographic Survey (ZHDS 2010/2011), the prevalence rate among the circumcised is 14 percent while that of the uncircumcised is 12 percent.