Handeni — HANDENI district have launched a campaign to compel men in the area to undergo circumcision as a preventive measure against HIV/AIDS.
The campaign was announced over the weekend by the District Medical Officer (DMO), Dr Somoka Mwakapalala, when speaking during a public rally at Kabuku ward on the last leg of Tanga Regional Commissioner Chiku Gallawa's tour of Handeni.
The RC wanted to know measures that the district has taken so far in sensitizing the public on preventive measures against HIV/AIDS especially those living along highways where the infection rate is still high.
The DMO said apart from sensitizing the people to be faithful to their partners, abstain from sex or use condom, the district had also launched a campaign of encouraging men to undergo circumcision.
According to Dr Mwakapalala, circumcised men have lower chances of being infected with the deadly virus than those who are uncircumcised. He said health workers and activists in the district have been moving around the district to sensitize men do so bearing in mind that some tribes do not practice circumcision.
Dr Mwakapalala, however, urged men willing to undergo circumcision to avoid going consulting traditional healers and instead go to health centres where they would get proper service and care.
The RC commended the district for the campaign which she said was a positive move in the national drive to combat HIV/AIDS. She also urged the people in Tanga to join the Community Health Fund (CHF), to be able to get reliable health services.
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From a USAID report: "There appears no clear pattern of association between male circumcision and HIV prevalence—in 8 of 18 countries with data, HIV prevalence is lower among circumcised men, while in the remaining 10 countries it is higher." http://www.measuredhs.com/pubs/pdf/CR22/CR22.pdf
It seems highly unrealistic to expect that there will be no risk compensation. The South African National Communication Survey on HIV/AIDS, 2009 found that 15% of adults across age groups "believe that circumcised men do not need to use condoms". http://www.info.gov.za/issues/hiv/survey_2009.htm
It is unclear if circumcised men are more likely to infect women. The only ever randomized controlled trial into male-to-female transmission showed a 54% higher rate in the group where the men had been circumcised: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60998-3/a bstract
ABC (Abstinence, Being faithful, and especially Condoms) is the way forward. Promoting genital surgery seems likely to cost African lives rather than save them.
Cutting off penis parts does not curb HIV spread. Real world data shows no link between missing penis parts and a curbing of HIV.
Some studies show that circumcised men pass HIV to partners at a higher rate and acquire STDs at a higher rate. A recent study from from Puerto Rico noted "Circumcised men have accumulated larger numbers of STI in their lifetime, have higher rates of previous diagnosis of warts, and were more likely to have HIV infection." In Africa following the circumcision push HIV rates are the same or have risen and cut men are getting HIV at a higher rate than men with ALL of their penis. For example The HIV prevalence rate among circumcised males between the ages of 15 and 49 in Zimbabwe is higher than that of the uncircumcised male" after the circumcision drive. In Uganda the HIV rate continues to rise after the the circumcision drive. from Puerto Rico "Circumcised men have accumulated larger numbers of STI in their lifetime, have higher rates of previous diagnosis of warts, and were more likely to have HIV infection."
The severe harm to sexual function and pleasure are ignored or downplayed by the penis parts removal pushers. The long term harm is huge with nerve damage and harm to the sensory system. It is estimated that from about 10000 to 100000 specialized nerve endings are cut with this WOUNDING.
The International Journal of Men's Health published results of a study that showed circumcised men are 4.5 times more likely to experience erectile dysfunction due to loss of sensitivity. In a further study, The British Journal of Urology International reports that circumcised men can experience up to a 75 percent reduction in sensitivity compared to men who are not circumcised.
The knowledge of the cut affecting sexual pleasure and function goes back years so there is NO IF as to SEXUAL HARM, it is a matter of HOW BAD IS IT for any particular guy. Maimonides (the Torah scholar) noted that the act that circumcision weakens the faculty of sexual excitement and sometimes perhaps diminishes the pleasure is indubitable. Kellogg declared a ‘war on masturbation’ at the end of the 19th century and advocated circumcision to curb male sexual urges by removing the main male pleasure parts.
Stupid people do stupid things. What else is there to say?!
Compel? COMPEL? Whatever happened to VOLUNTARY? (We predicted it would come to this (and circumcising babies, when there is NO evidence that circumcising babies offers any protection at all). Some people just want to circumcise. It's not about health, but POWER and CONTROL.
And Tanzania is one of the 10 countries where USAID found more (6.5%) of the CIRCUMCISED men have HIV than the non-circumcised (5.6%). This should at least be explained before pressing ahead with even voluntary circumcision campaigns, or disaster could follow.
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