The Department of Health will roll out a number of medical male circumcisions in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of school re-opening in the various districts of the province.
“We are moving ahead with medical male circumcision camps in the province during these winter holidays ahead of school re-opening. Male circumcision has hit the headline discussions, sparked debate and caused some of the men in a room to wince and cross their legs.
Male circumcision and its links to HIV is one of the most talked about issues within the AIDS response over the last months, with latest issues around camps driving potential change in the way male circumcision is practiced and implemented for the future in relation to HIV prevention” the MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, says.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health; as a lead government department, has since the announcement for the return of the male circumcision custom was made by His Majesty implemented a campaign to circumcise men and boys using a number of techniques and settings. This has been in response to evidence that it has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of HIV acquisition and that men and women understand that the procedure does not provide complete protection against HIV infection.
In implementing the medical male circumcision through camps, the various stakeholders improve the safety of circumcision practices and ensure that health care providers and the public have up to date information on the health risks and benefits of male circumcision. There are multiple messages related to male circumcision that are communicated clearly, consistently and in context-specific. These include core messages around:
* Male circumcision is part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy.
* Safety, hygiene, voluntary and informed consent are the corner stone of any procedure including male circumcision.
* Male circumcision is neither 100 percent protective nor a substitute for other methods of HIV risk-reduction.
* It has multiple meanings (rite of passage, marker of religious identity, personal health and hygiene, HIV risk-reduction strategy).
* Safety, risks and benefits for partners of circumcised, HIV positive men are indeterminate but suggest women may be at risk of HIV infection if sex is resumed prior to wound healing.
Journalists are invited to be with the MEC as he visits the following camps:
Date: 1 July 2010
Time: 11h00: Visit to Zululand (Nongoma) Mtheshana FET College and interaction with initiates and the media.
Date: 2 July 2010
Time: 09h00 to 10h30: Visit Sihayo High School
12h00 to 13h30: Visit Ezakheni FET College
14h00 to 15h30: Visit Amajuba FET College
Date: 3 July 2010
Time: 08h30 to 10h00: Visit Gamalakhe FET College
12h00 to 14h00: Visit uMzimkhulu FET College
For more information please contact:
Chris Maxon
Cell: 083 285 0567
Dr Sandile Buthelezi
Cell: 082 395 5786
