The Bishop of West Ankole diocese Rt. Rev. Yona Katoneene has appealed to the ministry of health to fund activities that aim at behavioral change in society.
About half the new HIV infections in africa are through NON-SEXUAL
TRANSMISSION, (eg. unsafe skin-piercing cosmetic and medical procedures,
and contaminated blood exposures, including intravenous drug use).
http://www.circumcision.org/hiv.htm
Circumcision can only worsen the HIV epidemic because:
1) Some men may become HIV infected from the circumcision procedure itself
when surgical instruments, syringes etc are used on multiple patients, but
inadequately sterilized.
2) At least 25% of men engage in sexual intercourse before their
circumcision wounds have healed (half as early as 3 weeks).
3) Many circumcised men mistakenly think that they have a "natural condom"
so they believe they are "immune to HIV infection" and can be promiscuous
with impunity. How wrong they are!
From the USAID report "LEVELS AND SPREAD OF HIV SEROPREVALENCE AND
ASSOCIATED FACTORS: EVIDENCE FROM NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS"
"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
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
From the committee of the South African Medical Association Human Rights,
Law & Ethics Committee :
"the Committee expressed serious concern that not enough
scientifically-based evidence was available to confirm that circumcisions
prevented HIV contraction and that the public at large was influenced by
incorrect and misrepresented information. The Committee reiterated its view
that it did not support circumcision to prevent HIV transmission."
The one randomized controlled trial into male-to-female transmission showed
a 54% higher rate in the group where the men had been circumcised btw:
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 will cost African lives, not save them.
Uganda: Bishop Against Circumcision
New Vision (Kampala), 12 April 2012
The Bishop of West Ankole diocese Rt. Rev. Yona Katoneene has appealed to the ministry of health to fund activities that aim at behavioral change in society.
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About half the new HIV infections in africa are through NON-SEXUAL TRANSMISSION, (eg. unsafe skin-piercing cosmetic and medical procedures, and contaminated blood exposures, including intravenous drug use).
http://www.circumcision.org/hiv.htm
Circumcision can only worsen the HIV epidemic because:
1) Some men may become HIV infected from the circumcision procedure itself when surgical instruments, syringes etc are used on multiple patients, but inadequately sterilized.
2) At least 25% of men engage in sexual intercourse before their circumcision wounds have healed (half as early as 3 weeks).
http://www.aidsmap.com/Quarter-of-men-resume-sex-before-wounds-from-circumc ision-fully-healed-in-Zambian-study/page/2227154/
3) Many circumcised men mistakenly think that they have a "natural condom" so they believe they are "immune to HIV infection" and can be promiscuous with impunity. How wrong they are!
From the USAID report "LEVELS AND SPREAD OF HIV SEROPREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS: EVIDENCE FROM NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS" "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
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
From the committee of the South African Medical Association Human Rights, Law & Ethics Committee : "the Committee expressed serious concern that not enough scientifically-based evidence was available to confirm that circumcisions prevented HIV contraction and that the public at large was influenced by incorrect and misrepresented information. The Committee reiterated its view that it did not support circumcision to prevent HIV transmission."
The one randomized controlled trial into male-to-female transmission showed a 54% higher rate in the group where the men had been circumcised btw: 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 will cost African lives, not save them.