This website was referenced in the footnotes of the Eradicating Female Genital Mutilation: A UK Perspective, By Hilary Burrage
I'm thrilled about the reference - not so much the subject, which is basically a huge propaganda tool. Female circumcision is very rare, limited to people living in the Sahel where almost no one lives anyway, and then only to people with little education. So why this has been made into a huge defining issue is of course propaganda.
Anayway, nice to show up in literature.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, MARAVI BLOGSPOT WEBSITE
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Mabo wants circumcision con men brought to justice
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Mon 30 Dec. 2013, 14:00 CAT
MWINILUNGA Male Circumcision coordinator Hagai Mabo has appealed to police to bring to justice a group of men masquerading as service providers from the government after they circumcised a man using a kitchen knife.
A 34-year-old man of Mwinilunga's Kabanda compound whose name has been withheld by police and medical officers for professional reasons almost bled to death on Friday after he was brutally circumcised by four men using a kitchen knife.
The conmen ran way after they noticed that they had failed to stop the man's excessive bleeding.
In an interview yesterday, Mabo said the victim who was in a critical condition the time he was picked from his house around 16:30 hours where he was circumcised from, had since been admitted to hospital and his condition was stable.
"These men are going round communities in Mwinilunga and making men and parents pay for the circumcision of their children. They are charging in some cases K50 and K40. They must be arrested because this is a serious problem and a serious health risk for the people. We have since started sensitisation campaigns and making people understand that there are conmen masquerading as professionals of male circumcision from the Ministry of Health. We are telling people that circumcision must be done at the hospital and it's only at the hospital where it's very safe and it's done at no cost," Mabo said.
Mabo said such culprits must be brought to book as they were endangering the lives of unsuspecting members of the general public through such unprofessional acts.
He further appealed to members of the general public to visit the nearest health centres whenever they want to access male circumcision services.
And police sources in Mwinilunga confirmed the matter had been reported and police were already doing their investigation.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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(NEWZIMBABWE) 90,000 men circumcised this year
10/12/2013 00:00:00
by Agencies
COMMENT - The AID$ Fraud continues. There is absolutely no evidence, whatsoever, that circumcision prevents HIV infection. See here and here. - MrK
CLOSE to 90,000 men have been circumcised so far this year, an official in the ministry of health revealed this week. The number is still short of the 2013 target of 115,000 but a remarkable increase from 40,755 who underwent the procedure last year, a health official said.
The rise has been attributed to the increase in facilities offering the operation with male circumcision now performed at provincial, district and mission hospitals and stand-alone centres, said AIDS and Tuberculosis Unit director at the Ministry of Health Dr Owen Mugurungi.
At least 87,858 males were circumcised across the country from January to October this year.
"This year’s output marks a significant increase as compared with 2012, when a total of 40,755 males were circumcised," Mugurungi said.
Bulawayo had the highest number of males circumcised with 18 per cent compared with 5.0 per cent in Midlands, Mashonaland Central, and Mashonaland West provinces.
The increase in Bulawayo was a result of various initiatives employed in raising awareness of the advantages of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC).
Mgurungi said the government would be increasing the number of teams trained to provide VMMC in provinces with low percentages of circumcised males.
The government introduced VMMC as a way of reducing HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases after evidence had demonstrated that circumcision reduced chances of men contracting HIV by 60 per cent.
The government is targeting to circumcise 217,800 people next year and 1.3 million by 2017.
______________________________________________________
(NEWZIMBABWE) 90,000 men circumcised this year
10/12/2013 00:00:00
by Agencies
COMMENT - The AID$ Fraud continues. There is absolutely no evidence, whatsoever, that circumcision prevents HIV infection. See here and here. - MrK
CLOSE to 90,000 men have been circumcised so far this year, an official in the ministry of health revealed this week.
The number is still short of the 2013 target of 115,000 but a remarkable increase from 40,755 who underwent the procedure last year, a health official said.
The rise has been attributed to the increase in facilities offering the operation with male circumcision now performed at provincial, district and mission hospitals and stand-alone centres, said AIDS and Tuberculosis Unit director at the Ministry of Health Dr Owen Mugurungi.
At least 87,858 males were circumcised across the country from January to October this year.
"This year’s output marks a significant increase as compared with 2012, when a total of 40,755 males were circumcised," Mugurungi said.
Bulawayo had the highest number of males circumcised with 18 per cent compared with 5.0 per cent in Midlands, Mashonaland Central, and Mashonaland West provinces.
The increase in Bulawayo was a result of various initiatives employed in raising awareness of the advantages of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC).
Mgurungi said the government would be increasing the number of teams trained to provide VMMC in provinces with low percentages of circumcised males.
The government introduced VMMC as a way of reducing HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases after evidence had demonstrated that circumcision reduced chances of men contracting HIV by 60 per cent.
The government is targeting to circumcise 217,800 people next year and 1.3 million by 2017.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, HIV/AIDS FRAUD
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(NEWZIMBABWE) 90,000 men circumcised this year
10/12/2013 00:00:00
by Agencies
COMMENT - The AID$ Fraud continues. There is absolutely no evidence, whatsoever, that circumcision prevents HIV infection. See here and here. - MrK
CLOSE to 90,000 men have been circumcised so far this year, an official in the ministry of health revealed this week.
The number is still short of the 2013 target of 115,000 but a remarkable increase from 40,755 who underwent the procedure last year, a health official said.
The rise has been attributed to the increase in facilities offering the operation with male circumcision now performed at provincial, district and mission hospitals and stand-alone centres, said AIDS and Tuberculosis Unit director at the Ministry of Health Dr Owen Mugurungi.
At least 87,858 males were circumcised across the country from January to October this year.
"This year’s output marks a significant increase as compared with 2012, when a total of 40,755 males were circumcised," Mugurungi said.
Bulawayo had the highest number of males circumcised with 18 per cent compared with 5.0 per cent in Midlands, Mashonaland Central, and Mashonaland West provinces.
The increase in Bulawayo was a result of various initiatives employed in raising awareness of the advantages of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC).
Mgurungi said the government would be increasing the number of teams trained to provide VMMC in provinces with low percentages of circumcised males.
The government introduced VMMC as a way of reducing HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases after evidence had demonstrated that circumcision reduced chances of men contracting HIV by 60 per cent.
The government is targeting to circumcise 217,800 people next year and 1.3 million by 2017.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, HIV/AIDS FRAUD
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(NEWZIMBABWE, SOUTHERN EYE) Circumcision helps stem cancer: Khupe
18/10/2013 00:00:00
by Southern Eye
MDC-T DEPUTY leader Thokozani Khupe has backed calls for men to consider circumcision to help curb new cervical cancer infections in the country. Cervical cancer is caused by a sexually transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV).
Khupe told Southern Eye that men need to seriously consider circumcision to not only prevent the spread of the HPV that causes cancer, but to help reduce new HIV infections.
“I am saying men should look at these issues seriously to save lives.
“If we have men who are circumcised, we will have 60% chances of not transmitting virus that causes cancer,” Khupe said in a telephone interview yesterday.
Health experts say other than reducing the spread of HIV by 60%, male circumcision offers partial protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Khupe said statistics show that 1 200 women die annually from cervical cancer that affects a further 1 800 women in Zimbabwe.
“This is the reason why I am calling on men to undergo circumcision.
“By getting circumcised men will also protect themselves from STIs and HIV,” Khupe added, noting that cervical cancer accounts for 32% of all cancers among women.
Khupe recently called for the introduction of a cancer levy to deal with all cancer-related health matters.
The World Health Organisation indicates that the high number of cervical cancer infections and deaths are as a result of HIV and Aids where women who are HIV-positive are thought to be three to five times more likely to develop cervical lesions that become cancerous.
Research shows that signs of cervical cancer include a discharge with traces of blood and pain during sexual intercourse, abnormal bleeding or a sudden change in one’s menstrual cycle that cannot be explained, among others.
Khupe’s motion was introduced Wednesday in Parliament Wednesday where she called for the setting up of centres to treat cancer around the country.
Speaker Jacob Mudenda said MPs should support the Thoko Khupe Cancer Foundation with donations, saying it was a noble idea.
Mudenda, a Zanu PF member said one of his friend’s mother was saved by Khupe’s intervention through the foundation.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS FRAUD, MDC CORRUPTION, THOKOZANI KHUPE
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Katema implores Zambian men to get circumcised
By Fridah Nkonde
Wed 24 July 2013, 14:01 CAT
COMMENT - Josph Katema is a fool. There is absolutely no evidence that circumcision prevents HIV infection of men, which is what it is touted as. Otherwise, circumcision is just an unneccessary and therefore unnecessarily risky medical procedure. It has the backing of hundreds of millions of dollars in donor aid, which should tell you all you need to know whose interests are being served with this continent wide campaign. To read about the fraud that is at the core of this universal circumcision drive in Africa, read here and here. The 'circumcision prevents HIV infection' claim is based on 3 surveys, 2 of which were 'stopped short for benefit', which is fraud. - MrK
COMMUNITY Development Mother and Child Health Minister Joseph Katema says all Zambian men need to be convinced to go for voluntary medical male circumcision. And Dr Katema says Zambia's National Male Circumcision programme is one of the most successful in Africa.
I'm sure the donors will be pleased to hear that. - MrK
Meanwhile, the ministry of Community Development intends to circumcise 45,000 males during the August campaign. During the launch of the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) August campaign in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Katema said there was need to dispel myths on male circumcision.
"We can only achieve this impact if we can convince all Zambian men to seek the service, while continuing other preventive measures such as correct and consistent condom use. We cannot continue to allow myths to prevent our men from undergoing a procedure which has the potential to save their lives. We need to dispel myths on male circumcision which does not: prevent pregnancy, cause impotence or erectile dysfunction, cure a man who is HIV positive," Dr Katema said.
He, however, said male circumcision had a number of other health benefits such as the reduction of urinary tract infections in infants, the reduction of penile cancer and protection against sexually transmitted infections in males.
Dr Katema said there was need to actively contribute to ensuring that Zambia achieved universal coverage of male circumcision.
Meanwhile, VMMC national coordinator Dr Albert Kaonga said to achieve universal coverage, Zambia needed to reach 1.9 million HIV negative adult males by 2015.
Dr Kaonga said over 400,000 VMMCs had been performed to date, adding that 107,000 males had been circumcised from January to July this year.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS, JOSEPH KATEMA
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Circumcision drive falters as men hesitate
08/07/2013 00:00:00
by IRIN
COMMENT - That is because people know there is no connection between circumcision and HIV infection. So I guess now they can only go after newborn babies. - MrK
Low programme uptake ... Men turn their backs on circumcision
Newly-born babies to be circumcised
FUNDS for the male circumcision programme in Zimbabwe are lying idle, as the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare says not enough men are coming forward to use the service, which was launched as part of an HIV-prevention package.
Following the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), Zimbabwe introduced the male circumcision programme in November 2009. Studies have shown that the practice can help reduce HIV transmission in men by about 60 percent.
The government plans to circumcise about 3 million men by the end of 2015, but the target may be overly ambitious, as less than 10 percent of the targeted population has yet been circumcised.
A huge challenge in the promotion of male circumcision is that Zimbabwe is traditionally not a circumcising country. The practice is common among only a few communities in Zimbabwe, particularly the Shangani tribe of Chiredzi, in the Lowveld part of the country.
Owen Mugurungi, coordinator of the HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, admitted that the response to the male circumcision programme has been extremely low, despite high levels of optimism when the programme was launched.
“We are not happy with the response for male circumcision,” he said.
“We have only circumcised close to 8 percent of the target population, whereas we need to make sure that we go way beyond 85 percent of the target population, so we need to work hard to reach that target.”
According to Mugurungi, the government could save about US$3 billion in HIV treatment if uptake of the programme is increased; through circumcision, the country could reduce the rate of infection from around 130,000 annual new infections to less than 50,000 by 2020.
Fears of surgery
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights HIV/AIDS manager Tinashe Mundawarara has called for research into the reasons behind the programme’s low uptake.
“If there is that much belief in male circumcision out there, demand would have been overwhelming. Traditional social marketing has failed to push it in the manner it has done in the promotion of condom use,” said Mundawarara.
Another barrier to the programme’s success is the fact that male circumcision is a surgical procedure, and people are generally fearful of medical procedures. Social marketing efforts should aim to allay people’s fears about circumcision, he noted.
The government hopes that the recent WHO approval, or "prequalification", of Prepex - a nonsurgical device - could help service providers address some of the fears over surgical procedures.
PrePex uses an elastic band that compresses the foreskin against a stiff plastic ring. The elastic band cuts off blood supply to the foreskin, which loses sensation and dries out, similar to the process of removing the umbilical cord of a newborn. The PrePex has to be worn for a week, after which it is removed and the dead foreskin is cut off.
According to UNAIDS country coordinator Tatiana Shomiliana, extensive consultations are underway to understand why there is such a low uptake of the circumcision programme. Preliminary investigations show that poor messaging could be a contributing factor.
“We need to talk more as stakeholders. We need to talk more as the Zimbabwean community about these issues because the rates of male circumcision are really low,” said Shomiliana.
Zimbabwe has received about $15 million from the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) for voluntary medical circumcision.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS FRAUD, HUMAN RIGHTS
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(NEWZIMBABWE, VOA) HIV circumcision drive misses targets
06/05/2013 00:00:00
by Slyvia Manika I VOA
THE Ministry of Health and its partners in the HIV/AIDS sector in Zimbabwe are worried about the low uptake of the male circumcision programme which was introduced as a form of HIV prevention method sometime last year.
The National Cordinator of the HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Response in the Health and Child Welfare Ministry, Dr. Owen Mugurungi, says targets have not been met.
The country director of the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe (UNAIDS) Tatiana Shomiliana said a lot of resources were mobilised in anticipation of the uptake of a large number of men following the circumcision of lawmakers at the beginning of the campaign.
She says feedback from stakeholders seems to suggest that the programme is not being taken seriously because of poor messaging.
Shomiliana says other research suggests that older men are less receptive to circumcision compared to young men or boys.
Dr. Mugurungi says the benefits of reducing one’s chances of HIV infection and risk of cervical cancer through circumcision should encourage men to take up the free service.
Interviews with a number of men reveal much more needs to be done by the government and its partners if they are to successfully sell the circumcision program to ordinary and suspicious Zimbabweans.
One man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, views the programme with suspicion. He thinks African men are being used as guinea pigs in some form of research.
Wellington Mberi says he will not get circumcised for the same reasons that the programme is being promoted for, adding it may just give him a false sense of security, leading him to indulge in dangerous sexual exploits.
But it is not every man who has negative perceptions about the practice. Moses Mutema was circumcised. He encourages friends and colleagues to go for circumcision.
Government plans to circumcise about three million people by the end of 2015 in its bid to reduce HIV infections in the country. But at the pace at which the programme is being implemented, it looks unlikely that that target would be reached.
The World Health Organisation is encouraging male circumcision saying research shows it can help prevent HIV infection in men by about 60 percent.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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Katema says 300,000 males circumcised
By Fridah Nkonde
Thu 04 Apr. 2013, 14:00 CAT
ZAMBIA has so far circumcised over 300,000 males, with more than 50 per cent of these done during last year's three school holidays campaign, says community development minister Dr Joseph Katema.
During the official opening of the Eastern and Southern Africa regional meeting on demand creation for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Katema who was represented by his deputy Jean Kapata said Zambia intended to circumcise 80 per cent of all HIV negative uncircumcised adult males aged 15 to 49 years.
"This, it is hoped, will avert close to 340,000 new infections by 2025. It is this challenge of converting knowledge into behaviour that we are here to address. It is a formidable challenge, but I believe that we have brought together a dynamic group of experts from across the world who are uniquely suited to the task at hand," Dr Katema said.
He said the meeting offered them a great opportunity to look at their programmes from new perspectives, adding that through engaging with researchers and communication experts, he was confident that they would generate new and innovative ideas.
He said the statistics alone were not sufficient to convince any individual adult man to get circumcised.
"I hesitate to ask how many of the men in this room have gone for the service, or how many of the women here have taken their husbands. Within the region, we have been working individually to try to answer some of the questions that hinder men from accessing services since 2007, but I dare to say that we haven't gotten it right just yet. We have identified many of the challenges, but I don't think we have measured or prioritised them. It is time for a more systematic approach that includes more coordination, and broader consultation," he said.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, CORRUPTION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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Storella hails govt's efforts in improving health sector
By Brina Siwale in Livingstone
Wed 13 Feb. 2013, 14:00 CAT
US Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella says the PF government has made tremendous efforts in improving the health sector. And Ambassador Storella says the US government will continue to render support to Zambia's health sector.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Ambassador Storella said helping Zambia develop and improve the health sector would always remain a priority for the US government.
"The Zambian health sector is doing ambitious things and we have seen government doing so much to raise the health standards of the Zambian people," he said.
"One improvement is that here in Southern Province government will start scaling up cervical cancer screening; this will save a lot of lives. So we will begin to work together to construct some cervical cancer screening wards and expand to other areas. So my impressions are positive though we still have a long way to go."
Ambassador Storella said he was impressed that the country was working hard to get to zero new infections of HIV and AIDS. He said this was seen through the increase in the professional practice which would reduce the mother to child transmission of HIV.
"The US will always be a reliable partner for the Zambian health sector, and we have been increasing our funding in the last five years. In Southern Province, we spend US$5 million dollars every year and US$400 million every year on the Zambian health sector as a whole," Ambassador Storella said.
He said with First Lady Dr Christine Kaseba's commitment to fighting cervical cancer and President Michael Sata's award for spearheading the fight against malaria, the country was poised for a developed health sector
Labels: AMBASSADOR, CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS, MARK STORELLA
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COMMENT - Read more about the details of this crime against humanity, Doctors Opposing Circumcision, and more articles on this fraud.
(SUNDAY MAIL ZW) Were we fooled, and
(NEWZIMBABWE) 150 MPs to undergo circumcision.
Zim approves infant circumcision
26/11/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
ZIMBABWE will begin large scale circumcision of new-born babies in the new year as part of its crusade against new HIV infections.
Officials say parents will have option to opt out of the procedure, which researchers say can reduce the chances of sexual transmission of HIV by 60 percent.
Dr Sinokuthemba Xaba, the national coordinator of the government’s male circumcision programme, said they had completed trials on neo-natal circumcision and were happy with the results.
“Neo-natal circumcision is targeted at new born males and children. These will as a result be exposed to the medical benefits of the procedure at a tender age. The consent of the parents will however be given first preference before any operation is done,” Xaba said.
“It’s hoped that neo-natal circumcision will scale up the number of circumcised men which at the moment is just ten percent and enable the country to reach or even surpass our target of having 1,2 million males circumcised by 2015.”
The Health Ministry says its research has shown that 1,500 new infections are prevented for every 200,000 babies circumcised.
Recently, the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) updated its position on infant circumcision, saying “the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks” after previously identifying only “potential” health benefits.
The revised policy is based on a survey of medical literature that found definite preventative and public health benefits.
Zimbabwe has 40 centres approved by the Health Ministry where men can be circumcised free of charge, but neo-natal circumcision will be performed at all major hospitals and approved clinics.
In 2011, UNAIDS and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) launched a five-year plan to have more than 20 million men in- eastern and southern African countries undergo medical male circumcision by 2015.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, SINOKUTHEMBA XABA
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"Sexual appetite shouldn't override need for circumcision"
By Moses Kuwema
Thu 22 Nov. 2012, 13:10 CAT
DR Francis Manda says Gwembe UPND member of parliament Brian Ntundu's sexual appetite should not override the advatages of male circumcision.
Commenting on Ntundu's fears about circumcision and the fears that 'sweetness' of sex is lost when one gets circumcised, Dr Manda, a urologist, advised the member of parliament not to only look at his sexual appetite but also other issues which in the end could affect him.
"People who are not circumcised, they are at the risk of getting cancer of the penis and two, most of the men because of their inner foreskin which harbours the virus called human papilloma virus, they are carriers of this virus and they pass it on to women and they end up with cervical cancer. His sexual appetite should not override the advantages of circumcision," he said.
Dr Manda said Ntundu's fears were based on ego and that he was not looking at what could befall him in terms of cancer.
"He is just being selfish by looking at his sexual appetite and not looking at other issues which in the end can even affect him. He could have cancer of the penis," Dr Manda said.
Dr Manda said it was only the sensation to the manhood that was lost when one got circumcised.
"Those people who have premature ejaculations, we use circumcision as one of the forms of treating them. If he says no I am going to lose this, that's being selfish, he is looking just at sex, he is not looking at other issues in the broader spectrum," he said.
Dr Manda however, said circumcision was voluntary and that Ntundu was free to remain the way he was if he so wished.
"If his main concern is his sexual behaviour, let him remain like that, but let him not discourage others because we have seen and it is proven beyond any doubt that circumcision is one of the tools which we use in mitigating not only HIV and AIDS but other sexually transmitted diseases," said Dr Manda.
During the voluntary medical male circumcision workshop for members of parliament on Monday, Ntundu, 50, laid bare his sex life and revealed that he struggled to do one round of sex on account of his age.
"When I was young…I had my first child at the age of 17 and during that time, I used to do more rounds but now I am 50 years old and I struggle to do one round of sex. Now if I am struggling at 50, what will happen if I circumcise…I am sure you know what I am trying to say," said Ntundu, sending the audience into laughter.
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, CIRCUMCISION, FRANCIS MANDA, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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Storella calls MPs to go for male circumcision
TIME PUBLISHED - Monday, November 19, 2012, 4:44 pm
United States (US) Ambassador to Zambia, Mark Storella, says national leaders hold the key to the reduction of new HIV infections through medical male circumcision.
Speaking during a Medical Male Circumcision Workshop for Members of Parliament today, Mr Storella urged Members of Parliament and other leaders to go for male circumcision and thereby encourage other citizens to do the same.
He said male circumcision is a huge intervention in the fight against HIV and AIDS as it reduces the risk of HIV infections by 60 per cent.
Mr Storella stated that the circumcision of 1.9 million people by 2015 target that Zambia has set for itself could translate to 339,632 new infections prevented if combined with other methods of protection.
And speaking when he launched the workshop, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mkhondo Lungu, said the workshop is meant to provide a platform for Members of Parliament to share information on male circumcision in HIV prevention, and also explore ways of how MPs can use their leadership positions to increase the numbers of people undergoing male circumcision in their constituencies.
Mr Lungu expressed gratitude to the US for increasing funding to Zambia for male circumcision from US $ 5 million to US $16 million in 2012.
[ZANIS]
Labels: AMBASSADOR, CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, MARK STORELLA
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COMMENT - Circumcision is being pushed by a couple of fanatics who want to circumcise the world, and know that Africa is an easy mark because we are outsourcing our healthcare to unaccountable NGOs, instead of collecting the taxes that allow our ministries to set their own policy. For more information, google: doctors opposing circumcision hiv statement.
Gwembe UPND MP Ntundu fears circumcision
By Moses Kuwema
Tue 20 Nov. 2012, 12:00 CAT
GWEMBE UPND member of parliament Brian Ntundu, 50, yesterday laid bare his sex life and caused laughter during a sensitisation meeting for members of parliament when he said he struggles to do one round of sex on account of his age.
This was during the voluntary medical male circumcision workshop for members of parliament, when Ntundu was given an opportunity to ask a question following Dr Manasseh Phiri's lecture on male circumcision. Ntundu wanted to find out from Dr Phiri if it was true that the 'sweetness' of sex is lost when one gets circumcised.
"When I was young….I had my first child at the age of 17 and during that time, I used to do more rounds but now I am 50 years old and I struggle to do one round of sex," explained Ntundu.
At this point, Dr Phiri chipped in and advised Ntundu to spare the meeting the details and get straight to his question.
Ntundu then proceeded and said: "Now if I am struggling at 50, what will happen if I circumcise… I am sure you know what I am trying to say."
Later, Dr Phiri assured Ntundu that it was not true that 'sweetness' was lost after one was circumcised.
Earlier, Bweengwa UPND member of parliament Highvie Hamududu shared his experience on circumcision with his fellow parliamentarians.
Hamududu revealed how his wife, who had accompanied him for circumcision, got concerned that the 'instrument' could be damaged.
This was after Kalomo UPND member of parliament Request Muntanga asked Hamududu if his wife had accompanied him for circumcision of which he responded in the affirmative.
"My wife was there watching because she is the owner of the property and she was making sure that the doctors were doing it nicely," said Hamududu.
He revealed that after undergoing circumcision, he received a number of phone calls from friends and relatives.
Hamududu later told the gathering about how he wished his wife was present yesterday to testify about other benefits that had come with his circumcision.
He further said the country had lost a number of ideas that were buried at the cemetery because of the HIV and AIDS pandemic.
Speaking earlier, US Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella said the national goal that Zambia had set of circumcising 1.9 million men by 2015 would prevent up to 339,632 new HIV infections.
Ambassador Storella said the target figure was an astonishing health and financial benefit for Zambians.
"We applaud your bold leadership and the American people, through PEPFAR, have invested more than US$17 million dollars for 2013 to support Zambia's national goal," he said.
Ambassador Storella said Zambia's high HIV prevalence rate was in part due to low levels of male circumcision.
He said the demand for medical male circumcision was still low, adding that it was essential for members of parliament to encourage people in their constituencies to undergo medical male circumcision in order to achieve and AIDS free generation in Zambia.
Meanwhile, deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Mkhondo Lungu said informing members of parliament on important issues like male circumcision was a sure way of communicating with the ordinary people in various constituencies and the country.
Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, GWEMBE DISTRICT, UPND
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COMMENT -
Circumcision to prevent HIV infection is complete and utter fraud. The doctors in question should be prosecuted for violating their hippocratic oath - first do no harm.
Circumcision: Docs up in arms
Wednesday, 24 October 2012 00:00
Paidamoyo Chipunza Health Reporter
Government has failed to achieve set targets for male circumcision because a few selected individuals are carrying out the procedure which any doctor should have been allowed to do, provincial medical directors have said. The country’s provincial medical directors revealed this at an HIV and Aids meeting held by the National Aids Council in Kwekwe last week.
The provincial medical directors from across the country urged Government to incorporate male circumcision in the general health system to allow for easy access.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, 80 000 men had been circumcised as of September against a target of 1,2 million for the next five years.
This is the third year into the five-year target.
The senior doctors also urged Government to expedite initiation of neo-natal circumcisions.
“The problem is that male circumcision came as a programme where a few selected people were trained and put in charge. And yet this is a simple procedure which any medical doctor can perform,” said the acting PMD for Matabeleland North, Dr Nyasha Masuka.
“Teams are coming from Harare or Bulawayo into our provinces, pitch their tents under a tree, circumcise a few men, and get paid hefty allowances and then leave.”
Dr Masuka said the approach frustrated other doctors and patients.
“Some people hear of the programme when teams are long gone and the local doctor has to explain to them that the teams have left,” he said.
Mashonaland East PMD Dr Simukai Zizhou said male circumcision was a proven method in reducing HIV transmission from an infected partner to a circumcised man and there was no need for Government to have it implemented separately from other health services.
Dr Zizhou said the majority of doctors could perform the procedure and that there was no reason for Government to select a “chosen few” to carry out the circumcisions. “If an old man from the village can perform this procedure, then any doctor should be able to do that,” he said. Dr Robert Mudyirandima, PMD for Masvingo, said the programme should be available all the times just like any other health service within an institution.
Acting PMD for Mashonaland West Dr Solomon Mukungunurwa said circumcision services should be universally accessible.
“If we are to realise full benefits of this programme, circumcision should start as soon as a child is born.”
He said implementation of neo-natal circumcision should be expedited to avert possible new infections.
Responding to the PMDs’ concerns, preventive services principal director in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare Dr Gibson Mhlanga said Government would consider integrating circumcision into general health services.
“We have heard their concerns and we are going to consider them as soon as we can,” Dr Mhlanga said.
Male circumcision has been touted as an effective method of preventing HIV infections by 60 percent.
According to national male circumcision co-ordinator Mr Sinokuthemba Xaba, the country should have circumcised one million men after three years.
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD
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COMMENT - 'A HIV free Zambia' is not possible through circumcision. See my comment at the original link. There is no evidence whatsoever that circumcision prevents HIV infection. For all the links and details,
read here and
here.
HIV-free Zambia possible, says Storella
September 13, 2012 | Filed underLocal News | Posted by mitia
By NORMA SIAME -
UNITED States (US) Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella has said an HIV free generation in Zambia is a possible, especially if interventions like male circumcision are taken seriously. The ambassador was speaking during panel discussion on male circumcision which was preceded by a tour of Kasama General Hospital.
The ambassad or said the US had tripled its budget for male circumcision and was happy to see that Health Minister Joseph Kasonde and the Zambian Government considered it of high importance.
Mr Storella said he was happy to see that hospitals where no longer places people went to die and had now become places of hope.
“It’s also good to see that chiefs are now in the forefront of encouraging their subjects to under this procedure,” he said.
He said he had learnt a lot from the discussion on male circumcision and was happy it had been well received as an intervention to reduce the spread of HIV.
The discussion which was attended by Northern Province Minister Freedom Sikazwe, Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba and medical personnel drawn from different organisations also tabulated the challenges encountered in performing male circumcision such as stigma.
Mr Mwamba said it was gratifying that the US Government had continued to render aid to Zambia by supporting and providing much needed funds in areas relating to health.
ZPCT II provincial technical officer Michael Shamututu in his contribution said while male circumcision was mostly directed at HIV negative men and boys HIV positive men could also undergo the procedure if certain parameter where met.
“Even though there was stigma from the men in defence forces most officers are now coming round and voluntarily undergoing circumcision,” Lieutenant Colonel Shamututu said.
Other benefits of male circumcision include the prevention of cervical cancer in women which is associated with genital Human papilloma virus in their male partners.
Many African countries are now championing male circumcision to stop the spread of HIVs because research shows that circumcision can protect both men and their female partners from AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The World Health Organisation concluded that universal male circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa could prevent close to six million new cases of HIV infection and three million deaths over a 20 year period.
Labels: AMBASSADOR, CIRCUMCISION, HIV/AIDS, MARK STORELLA
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Timothy Stamps rubbishes UN circumcision program
By Tidi Kwidini
Published: July 24, 2012
President Robert Mugabe’s personal health advisor, and former cabinet Minister for Health, Timothy Stamps, has rubbished claims from a UN backed study that has concluded that male circumcision reduces HIV transmission.
Stamps’ comments come at a time when the country recently embarked on a massive government sponsored foreskin cutting crusade with the hope of lessening the chances of HIV/AIDS transmission. The crusade this year has also seen more than fifty of the country’s male MPs being compelled to go under the knife.
Stamps told a Standard journalist that it did not make any difference to the adult prevalence rate. He further stated that the studies undertaken on circumcision had shown that countries such as the US with a higher number of circumcised men had a high HIV prevalence rate.
“Instead of channelling funds towards circumcision, the money must be used to save pregnant mothers who die in huge numbers in this country,” he said.
Dr Timothy Stamps
“When we are losing 960 mothers for every 100 000 pregnancies, should circumcision be a priority?” Stamps added.
A careful study needed
But in response to an article published by ZimEye in May, a senior HIV specialist based in London, Dr Charles Mazhude issued a caution against the arguments being brought forward against circumcision saying a careful study should be conducted before practitioners recommend the contrary.
“The UN recommendations for circumcision are based on several published studies which have been peer reviewed. Amongst my fellow clinicians and specialists in the area of HIV/AIDS, circumcision remains recognised as one of several interventions that could reduce transmission rates. The Ministry of health therefore seems to have taken an evidence based stance in promoting this intervention,” Mazhude said.
“I totally agree that recommending the opposite requires a clear and careful analysis – confusing the message could be counterproductive,” he added.
Contradictions and Evidence
Some practitioners who are opposing circumcision like Dr Stamps are concerned about the behavioural effects circumcision could possibly have on society as opposed to the biological. They say the current circumcision drive, encourages illicit sexual behaviour which actually increases peoples’ chances of contracting HIV.
Dr Stamps’ views and arguments are suspected to be motivated by a study conducted by Boyle & Hill (2011) who have been castigated by scholars for allegedly undermining findings from three landmark randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that demonstrated both individually and collectively that male circumcision reduces an individual man’s risk of acquiring HIV by 60 percent.
The Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) are the basis of current UN Health recommendations which have been suggested to high HIV prevalent African countries like Zimbabwe.
According to Webster Mavu and Dr Joshua Dziba of the US based HIV AIDS Zimbabwe Charity(HAZ), Boyle & Hill (2011) maintain that circumcision diverts resources from other known preventive measures such as condoms (which are 80 percent protective).
Webster Mavu and Dr Dziba however, reveal that circumcision is being promoted in conjunction with condom promotion not instead of it. “When WHO/UNAIDS recommended that Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision(VMMC) be implemented in countries with high HIV but low MC prevalence, they made 10 other recommendations, which have policy and programmatic implications for rolling-out VMMC,” says Webster Mavu.
A number of issues are handled by HAZ in which they state their evidence and arguments that apart from just being implemented, circumcision must actually be accelerated. HAZ has issued this study paper now accessible from their website and titled “To circumcise or not to circumcise: That is the question.”
Though research has concluded that circumcision does not prevent chances of being infected by the HIV virus it reduces the likelihood by about approximately 60%, showing that there is still at least a 40% chance of acquiring HIV; and the arguments together with a search for the truth continue. (ZIMBABWE, ZimEye)
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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(ZIMEYE) “Circumcision of Zimbabweans a US Agenda”
By Business Reporter
Published: January 13, 2012
(Harare)THE Government of Zimbabwe is to force its ministers to undergo circumcision in seeking to combat the spread of HIV, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, but little do they know that circumcision may actually be a US cultural agenda, according to Ronald Goldman, Ph.D, of the US Boston based Circumcision Resource Centre together with many other ZimEye readers.
Thousands of dollars of government and donor money which could have been utilised to create employment and poverty alleviation programs are to be wasted although the circumcision method actually increases HIV transmission and causes physical, sexual, and psychological harm, the argument states.
Last year Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani announced government was to force ministers to under the surgery. Khupe(pictured) said that the decision was in line with strategies Government was implementing to curb the spread of HIV and Aids.
“Research has shown that circumcised men are eight times less likely to contract HIV. Therefore, as leaders in Government, we should lead by example so that when we cascade to the grassroots they understand the importance and benefits of the exercise,” she said.
But US experts argue that the research which led to the national conclusion has serious flaws
Argues Dr Goldman who is supported by other experts:
“For American society, circumcision is a solution in search of a problem, a social custom disguised as a medical issue. Beware of culturally-biased studies on circumcision posing as science, and take your whole baby home,”
He adds:
“Many professionals have criticized the studies claiming that circumcision reduces HIV transmission. They have various flaws. Authorities that cite the studies have other agendas. Circumcision causes physical, sexual, and psychological harm. Other methods to prevent HIV transmission (e.g., condoms and sterilizing medical instruments) are much more effective, much cheaper, and much less invasive.”
Another journal article published by Robert S. Van Howe and Michelle R. Storms, states the circumcision solution proposed by United Nations has several fundamental flaws.
"Waste of money" ... Zimbabwe's Circumcision clinics criticised
An introduction to the research journals reads:
“The World Health Organization and UNAIDS have supported circumcision as a preventive for HIV infections in regions with high rates of heterosexually transmitted HIV; however, the circumcision solution has several fundamental flaws that undermine its potential for success.
This article explores, in detail, the data on which this recommendation is based, the difficulty in translating results from high risk adults in a research setting to the general public, the impact of risk compensation, and how circumcision compares to existing alternatives.
Based on our analysis it is concluded that the circumcision solution is a wasteful distraction that takes resources away from more effective, less expensive, less invasive alternatives. By diverting attention away from more effective interventions, circumcision programs will likely increase the number of HIV infections.” More to follow.CLICK HERE for the paper (ZimEye, Zimbabwe)
Labels: CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS
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COMMENT - From
Doctors Opposing Circumcision:
The Use of Male Circumcision to Prevent HIV Infection A statement by Doctors Opposing Circumcision
Introduction. There have been a number of exaggerated claims made for the alleged efficacy of male circumcision in preventing female-to-male infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) This statement examines those claims and puts them in proper perspective.
History. The theory that male circumcision may be protective against HIV infection was invented and developed in North America. According to Professor Valiere Alcena, MD, he originated the theory that removing the foreskin can prevent HIV infection in an article1 in August 1986.2 The late Aaron J. Fink, MD, a noted North American advocate of male circumcision, then promoted Alcena's theory in letters to medical journals.3-5 North American Gerald N. Weiss, MD, who operates a website to promote circumcision, and others contributed to the development of the theory through a paper, which was published in Israel (1993), identifying the prepuce as a possible entry point for HIV.6 North American circumcision enthusiasts have further promoted male circumcision with opinion pieces in medical journals.7,8
Stephen Moses,
Daniel T. Halperin, and R
obert C. Bailey are other well known North American promoters of male circumcision.8,9
Numerous observational studies were carried out in Africa, but the evidence-based Cochrane Review (2003) found insufficient evidence to advocate a circumcision intervention to prevent HIV infection.10
Randomized controlled trials. After the failure of observational studies to show a clear protective effect, circumcision advocates obtained funding from the United States National Institutes of Health to conduct randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Africa. Three RCTs to study the value of male circumcision in reducing HIV infection have been conducted in Africa since the publication of the Cochrane Review. The studies were intended to find out if circumcision is an effective intervention to prevent female-to-male HIV infection. A RCT under the supervision of Bertran Auvert, French circumcision proponent, was carried out in Orange Farm, South Africa;11 a RCT was carried out in Kenya under the supervision of North American circumcision proponent Robert C. Bailey and Stephen Moses;12 and a RCT was carried out in Uganda under the supervision of North American circumcision proponent Ronald H. Gray.13 Dr. Auvert has been a circumcision proponent since at least 2003.14 Professor Moses has been an advocate of circumcision at least since 1994.9 Professor Bailey has been a circumcision advocate since at least 1998.15
All three studies found that non-circumcised males contract HIV infection more quickly than circumcised males.11-13 This may be because the circumcised males required a period of abstinence after their circumcision. All three studies were terminated early, before the incidence of infection in circumcised males caught up with the incidence of infection in the non-circumcised males. If the studies had continued for their scheduled time, it is probable that there would have been little difference between the circumcised group and the non-circumcised group. Mills & Siegfried point out that early termination of such studies cause the benefits to be exaggerated.16 Dowsett & Couch (2007), even after publication of the RCTs, found insufficient evidence exists to support a program of circumcision to prevent HIV infection.17
Cultural bias. When studying circumcision, cultural bias must be considered:
Circumcision practices are largely culturally determined and as a result there are strong beliefs and opinions surrounding its practice. It is important to acknowledge that researchers' personal biases and the dominant circumcision practices of their respective countries may influence their interpretation of findings.10
More than 50 percent of infant boys in North America still are subjected to non-therapeutic circumcision. There is a well known cultural bias in favor of circumcision in North America,18-21 which may influence doctors at the National Institutes of Health as well as those directing the studies. Doctors conducting these studies may not possess the necessary attributes of neutrality and objectivity. Ideally, researchers from circumcising cultures, circumcised themselves, would recuse themselves from considering the data.
Risks, complications, and drawbacks. The reported complication rate of 1.7 percent seems unreasonably low. Williams & Kapila estimated the incidence of complications at 2-10 percent;22 In the survey by Kim & Pang, 48 percent reported decreased masturbatory pleasure, 63 percent reported increased masturbatory difficulty, and 20 percent reported a worsened sex life after circumcision.23
Effectiveness. Circumcision does not prevent HIV infection. The Auvert study in South Africa reported 20 infections in circumcised males.11 A study in Kenya reported 22 infections in circumcised males. Brewer & found higher rates of HIV infection in circumcised virgins and adolescents.24 The United States has the highest rate of HIV infection and the highest rate of male circumcision in the industrialized world. Male circumcision, therefore, cannot reasonably be thought to prevent HIV infection.
There are many methods of HIV transmission, including:
* mother-to-child infection,
* transfusion of tainted blood25
* infection with non-sterile needles used in health care,25
* infection by homosexual and heterosexual anal intercourse,26
* infection by needle sharing to inject illegal drugs,
* traditional African scarring practices,
* tribal (ritual) circumcision,24
* female circumcision,27
* male-to-female heterosexual transmission, and
* female-to-male heterosexual transmission.
Male circumcision might only reduce infection by the last method, so the overall influence on the HIV epidemic in Africa, at best, would be likely to be slight, however, the risk of male-to-female transmission is much higher than that of female-to-male transmission, so a means of partial prevention that targets only the second means at the expense of the first would be counterproductive.
There is no indication that male circumcision would protect women. Viral load is the chief predictor of the risk of HIV transmission.28 Malaria infection increases viral loads, so enhances infectivity.29 Male circumcision would not reduce viral loads and would not reduce infectivity to the female partner. One study, however, has shown female circumcision to be strongly protective.30
Condom usage. Condoms have been shown to be effective at preventing HIV transmission.31 The use of condoms is necessary to prevent infection whether or not the male is circumcised.
Effect on condom use. Male circumcision removes nerves from the penis32 and causes significant loss of sexual sensitivity and function.33 For this reason, many circumcised men are reluctant to use condoms. A program of mass circumcision may reduce condom usage and have an adverse effect on the overall HIV infection incidence.
Relevance to developed nations. These African studies were carried out in HIV “hot-spots”—places where the incidence of HIV infection in the population is high and where the method of transmission is heterosexual intercourse. They are not relevant to developed nations, such as the United States, where the incidence of infection is low and where the predominant methods of transmission are through homosexual anal intercourse or through needle-sharing by drug addicts.37
Circumcision of children. These RCTs, which studied HIV transmission among adults in Africa, cannot be used to support the practice of non-therapeutic circumcision of children. Infant boys do not engage in sexual intercourse so they are not subject to sexually-transmitted HIV infection. They, however, are subject to various complications of circumcision, including infection through an open circumcision wound with various pathogens, such as deadly CA-MRSA.38,39 Other risks include hemorrhage, exsanguination, and death;40 and various surgical accidents, including urethral fistula,41 penile denudation,42 and traumatic amputation of the glans penis.43 By the time today’s newborn boys became sexually active, HIV vaccine is likely to be available so circumcision today, in an attempt to prevent HIV infection in the distant future, is contraindicated.
The high infant mortality rate in the African countries hardest hit by the HIV epidemic means many childen will die before they become sexually active, further vitiating any protective effect of infant circumcision. The time, effort and money would be better spent on community health measures that would preserve their lives and those of their parents.
Because of their minority, children cannot grant consent, so any non-therapeutic circumcision of a child is a human rights violation44 and ethically inappropriate.45
Discussion. Effective methods of reducing HIV infection include education and behavior change.46 Abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage offer men and women the greatest protection in avoiding HIV/AIDS transmission.
Men who have been circumcised may consider themselves immune to HIV and at no risk to their female partner. That, however, is not the case. Circumcised men may still contract HIV and pass it on to their next partner.
The reported complication rate of 1.7 percent seems unreasonably low. Williams & Kapila estimated the incidence of complications at 2-10 percent;22 In the survey by Kim & Pang (2006), 48 percent reported decreased masturbatory pleasure, 63 percent reported increased masturbatory difficulty and 20 percent reported a worsened sex life after circumcision.33
The authors of the RCTs have engaged in the promotion of circumcision.47,48 Van Howe and colleagues argue that their true motivation may be the introduction of universal male circumcision, using fear of HIV as the tool with which to accomplish their goals.46
Social problems. The introduction of male circumcision into a non-circumcising society may present problems such as:
* adverse psychological and sexual effects caused by the diminishment and desensitization of the penis,49
* increased antisocial behavior,49
* violations of human rights,49
* violations of laws that protect children,49 and
* inability to discontinue male circumcision when the need for it no longer exists.49
Politics. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is quite severe in several African nations. In some areas, a high percentage of the population is HIV+. Public health organizations are under intense pressure to solve the problem. The use of male circumcision to prevent HIV infection is akin to a drowning man grasping at a straw. Although male circumcision is likely to be proposed for political reasons, it is likely to have little effect on the overall incidence of HIV infection and may cause later problems. According to Ntozi:
It is important that, while circumcision interventions are being planned, several points must be considered carefully. If the experiment fails, Africans are likely to feel abused and exploited by scientists who recommended the circumcision policy. In a region highly sensitive to previous colonial exploitation and suspicious of the biological warfare origin of the virus, failure of circumcision is likely to be a big issue. Those recommending it should know how to handle the political implications.50
Opposing evidence. Both the public and the medical community must guard against being overwhelmed by the hyperbolic promotion of male circumcision and must receive these new studies with extreme caution. There is contradictory evidence that male circumcision is not as effective as proponents claim. One study found that male circumcision had no protective effect for women51 and another study found that male circumcision increased risk for women.52 Grosskurth found more HIV infection in circumcised men.53 Barongo et al. found no evidence that lack of circumcision is a risk factor for HIV infection.54 A study from India found little difference between circumcised and non-circumcised men in the conjugal relationship.55 A study carried out in South Africa found that male circumcision offered only a slight protective effect.56 A study carried out among American naval personnel found no difference in the incidence of HIV infection between non-circumcised and circumcised men.57
The future. The development of a vaccine is the best hope for the solution to the HIV epidemic.58 Several teams of scientists are working to develop vaccines that will prevent infection with HIV and other vaccines that will treat those already infected.59 The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has contributed $287 million to 16 research groups for development of a vaccine.60
Conclusion. Male circumcision is a highly emotive operation that generates strong feelings in many men,10 especially those who have been circumcised,61 as have most North Americans. The trauma associated with the operation may generate a desire to repeat or reenact the trauma.62 Other men may feel a need to justify their own circumcision by the generation of claims of health benefits.61 The medical literature is full of protective claims for various diseases, such as sexually transmitted disease (formerly called venereal disease),63 male and female cancers, and urinary tract infection.64 All such claims have been disproved.
The RCTs on which the current claims are based have been carried out by men who have a previous history of promoting circumcision. DOC has little confidence in such studies, especially since contradictory evidence exists.
Male circumcision may increase male-to-female transmission of HIV and mitigate any reduction in female-to-male transmission. A preliminary report confirms the increased risk to women.65
Instituting a program of male circumcision is of dubious value. It will divert resources from proven methods of epidemic control and it may generate a false sense of security in males who have been circumcised. The desensitization of the penis that frequently results from male circumcision is likely to make men less willing to use condoms. A program of male circumcision very likely may worsen the epidemic.
The epidemic in Africa may have little to do with lack of circumcision and everything to do with the percentage of the female population engaged in female sex work.
Quote:
Actually, it has everything to do with how statistics are gathered, as this example should have given the doctors a hint of.
Talbot (2007) has established a correlation between the number of female sex workers in the population and the level of HIV infection.66
Calls are being heard for the circumcision of children although (assuming that male circumcision is effective at controlling female-to-male infection) this could not be helpful until the child becomes sexually active. As previously stated, the non-therapeutic excision of healthy body parts from non-consenting children is a violation of human rights44 and medically unethical.45 Therefore, the true motivation of the circumcision proponents must be questioned.46 It may be perpetuation of neonatal circumcision, not control of HIV.
DOC believes that more emphasis on education, behavior change—such as abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage, provision of condoms, treatment of other sexually transmitted diseases, treatment of genital ulcer disease, control of malaria, and provision of safe healthcare would be more likely to produce beneficial results. The ultimate answer is likely to be one or more of the vaccines now in development.
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39. Epidemic Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: Dramatically Increased Risk for Circumcised Newborn Boys. Seattle: Doctors Opposing Circumcision, 2005. [Full Text]
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42. Sotolongo JR, Hoffman S, Gribetz ME. Penile denudation injuries after circumcision. J Urol 1985;133:102-3. [Full Text]
43. Gluckman GR, Stoller ML, Jacobs MM, Kogan BA. Newborn penile glans amputation during circumcision and successful reattachment. J Urol 1995 133(3) Part 1 :778-779. [Full Text]
44. International Human Rights Law and the Circumcision of Children. Seattle: Doctors Opposing Circumcision, 2006. [Full Text]
45. Medical Ethics and the Circumcision of Children. Seattle: Doctors Opposing Circumcision, 2006. [Full Text]
46. Moore DM, Hogg RS. Trends in antenatal human immunodeficiency virus prevalence in Western Kenya and Eastern Uganda: evidence of differences in health policies? Int J Epidemiol 2004;33(3):542-8. [Full Text]
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Labels: CIRCUMCISION, HEALTHCARE, HIV/AIDS, NGOs
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COMMENT - This is an outrage. This is what you can expect from an MDC run Zimbabwe. Complete compliance to the population control agenda of Bill Gates and David Rockefeller. They are doing the same types of programmes in Malawi and Zambia.
Newly-born babies to be circumcised
19/07/2012 00:00:00
by Phyllis Mbanje
ZIMBABWE is planning to expand its circumcision campaign to include newly-born babies as part of the country’s fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS, a senior health ministry official has confirmed.
The ministry’s AIDS and TB unit co-ordinator,
Getrude Ncube, said
a pilot project targeting babies between one and 28 days old would be
launched before year end with the
full programme likely to be rolled out in 2014.
"The project will start in Harare and Bulawayo," Ncube said adding that, gradually, all maternity sites across the country would be circumcising newly born babies by 2014.
"Although circumcising neonates will not have an immediate an impact, results will show in 20 years’ time. Our sole aim is to try and reduce new HIV infections."
The programme was launched in 2009 with officials targeting to have 80 per cent of the male population circumcised by 2015.
Currently the programme is only targeting the 15-49 age group and around 700,000 men have already undergone the procedure against a target of 1.2 million by 2015.
Dozens of legislators were also recently circumcised as part of efforts to publicise the procedure which has become a key part of the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS
Circumcised men are said to be 60 per cent less likely to get infected with HIV but the latest Zimbabwe Demographic Survey indicated that the prevalence rate among circumcised men was higher than that of those who were uncircumcised.
Officials have also warned that the procedure should not be seen as a “licence” for irresponsible sexual behaviour.
“Circumcision is not a magic bullet but part of a prevention package,” the head of the head of the health ministry’s HIV and TB unit, Dr Owen Mugurungi said last month
“There is a lot of misconception out there and we are appealing to the media to help us communicate that circumcision is not a magic bullet.
“The media has to educate the community not to move around looking for circumcised men with the intention of not using protection when they have sex.
“Women are now looking for men who are circumcised and they do not want to use condoms. We do not want to create false hope.”
Zimbabwe is one of the countries worst affected by HIV/AIDS with around a million people believed to be infected with the disease which, if left untreated, can lead to the break-down of a patient's immune system.
The one million figure represents around 14 per cent of Zimbabwe's population but is a vast improvement on higher prevalence levels of around 23 per cent seen back in 2003.
Labels: CHILD ABUSE, CIRCUMCISION, FRAUD, HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS
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