Circumcision can protect from HIV transmission: Reports from Zimbabwe

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDMar 25 2010

Nearly 1.1 million people in Zimbabwe are HIV positive with 40% unaware of their status. 160,000 children are infected with counts rising by 17,000 yearly. Total HIV prevalence rate for Zimbabwe is 13.7%. There are 2,000 HIV related deaths in Zimbabwe every week. 25% of children in Zimbabwe are orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS related deaths according to UN agency reports.

Male circumcision involves removal of some or whole of the foreskin from the penis. In the recent National AIDS council media editor’s meeting held at Kadoma it was said that Zimbabwe can reduce HIV prevalence by between 35-50% if half of the three million sexually active male adults are circumcised. Researchers say that risk of HIV is three times higher in non-circumcised males compared to their circumcised counterparts.

Dr Owen Mugurungi, in charge of HIV and AIDS program in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare also said that male circumcision is proven as one of the most safe and effective methods of prevention of HIV transmission. However people who are already HIV positive do not benefit from this procedure.

But there is a question of application of this procedure. Even the male participants of the meeting, presenters from UNAIDS and Zimbabwe’s National Network for People Living did not come forward to get themselves circumcised. The pain associated with the procedure as well as the six week post operative abstinence from sex was a major deterrent. Surgeons worldwide however say that clinical circumcision is clean and safe.

Circumcision services are offered at Spillhaus at Harare Hospital, Mutare Provincial Hospital and Karanda Mission in Mt Darwin. Dr Mugurungi said the targets were to circumcise 100,000 men this year but due to shortage of resources around 30,000 may be circumcised. The ministry has circumcised about 3,300 men as of January this year.

However Doctors warn that circumcision should not be a replacement for other effective methods to prevent transmission of this dreaded disease like use of condoms.