Reputable research reports have found that male circumcision can
provide HIV-negative heterosexual men with up to 60% protection against
HIV infection.
While this is a remarkable finding, South Africa needs adequate education campaigns directed at women, and at informing people about what it means to get circumcised as HIV-positive heterosexual men.
While this is a remarkable finding, South Africa needs adequate education campaigns directed at women, and at informing people about what it means to get circumcised as HIV-positive heterosexual men.
These are the remarks made by Dr. Avron Urison,
Medical Director at AllLife, as he acknowledged the progress South
Africa has made with respect to combating HIV/Aids, as well as
advocating for initiatives intended to raise awareness concerning
circumcision for HIV-positive heterosexual men.
Benefits of male circumcision
"It has been proven that circumcision can help protect HIV-negative heterosexual men from HIV because cells under the foreskin are vulnerable to the virus," said Urison. "Removing the foreskin, as such, may act directly to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition by decreasing the ability of the virus to attach to and enter cells."
Benefits of male circumcision
"It has been proven that circumcision can help protect HIV-negative heterosexual men from HIV because cells under the foreskin are vulnerable to the virus," said Urison. "Removing the foreskin, as such, may act directly to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition by decreasing the ability of the virus to attach to and enter cells."
Some of the
benefits of male circumcision, according to Urison, include preventing
herpes genitalis, protection against penile cancer, risks of urinary
tract infection, prostate cancer, sexually transmitted diseases and, in
female partners, cervical cancer.
“This is useful information, and
it appears to have been well communicated to many HIV-negative
heterosexual men throughout the country,” he said. “However, are South
Africans aware that the recommended male circumcision, with respect to
HIV, is not a replacement for the existing prevention methods such as
the use of condoms?”
“Do the majority of South African women
understand that this is not a directly protective method for them? Are
heterosexual men, living with HIV in South Africa, clear that although
they can get circumcised, their benefits in this regard are close to
none – if any?”
Surgery from unsafe providers
“Many South African women and HIV-positive heterosexual men are not informed as to how, if at all, male circumcision can benefit them. Therefore, while the effort to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids is greatly prioritised, South Africa needs to also implement and highlight the efforts aimed are reducing the number of people who die due to Aids-related sicknesses, thereby promoting methods that can also benefit the people who are already living with HIV/Aids.”
Surgery from unsafe providers
“Many South African women and HIV-positive heterosexual men are not informed as to how, if at all, male circumcision can benefit them. Therefore, while the effort to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids is greatly prioritised, South Africa needs to also implement and highlight the efforts aimed are reducing the number of people who die due to Aids-related sicknesses, thereby promoting methods that can also benefit the people who are already living with HIV/Aids.”
Citing World
Health Organisation on the issue, he said that circumcision for
HIV-positive men is not recommended, but denying them will possibly
increase the stigma among HIV-positive men who are not circumcised. This
might also increase the chances of HIV-positive men seeking surgery
from unsafe providers if they are turned away from medical points of
service.
Consequently, Urison stressed the importance of
implementing initiatives that are aimed at addressing the socio-cultural
context of the situation, as well as ensuring that HIV-positive
heterosexual men are aware that they can only get circumcised if their
CD4 count is 350 or higher and that circumcision has no HIV benefit for
them.
Source: http://www.health24.com/Medical/HIV-AIDS/From-Our-Sponsors/SA-needs-to-be-educated-about-male-circumcision-20140804
No comments:
Post a Comment