News
Women to promote male cut
Posted Monday, November 24 2008 at 21:05
In Summary
- Age-old ritual shown to reduce chances of being infected with cervical cancer
Spurred on by reports of a significant increase in HIV infections among married couples, health officials want to involve women in the drive to have more Kenyan men undergo circumcision.
Speaking at the launch of the voluntary male circumcision programme at Panafric Hotel, Nairobi on Monday, Public Health and Sanitation assistant minister James Gesami said the ministry would provide free counselling for couples on the benefits of male circumcision.
Counselling will be part of Government’s strategy to promote the male cut in Kenya, partly funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the US Government.
This follows recent release of data from the Kenya Aids Indicator Survey that shows two-thirds of Kenyan adults infected with HIV are legally married or cohabiting and that in one of every 10 marital unions, at least one partner is living with HIV, forming what doctors call ‘discordant couples’.
Married couples
Dr Peter Cherutich, head of the national task force on circumcision, said counselling is critical for both married and unmarried couples.
“There are cases where the husband sneaks out for circumcision and the wife interprets that to mean that he is preparing to become promiscuous, or that it will have an impact on their sexual relations... Women have to be involved for the full benefits to be felt,” Dr Cherutich said.
He said the one-month healing period may also create problems as women may not understand the need for prolonged abstention from sex.
Parents will also be advised on how to counsel their sons facing “the cut.”
Research has also shown that the male cut markedly reduces chances of infection with the human papilloma virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer — the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Kenya — by between 60 and 70 per cent.
It also reduces chances of infection with venereal diseases.
Public hospitals
Hospitals in Nyanza have recorded a surge in people seeking the services at public hospitals since circumcision was endorsed by the area’s politicians.
But officials say hospitals first must be accredited to offer the services.
The task force has already developed a manual and guidelines for circumcision and come up with guidelines on it.
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Submitted by poodlenoodle4000Posted December 15, 2008 05:26 AM
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Submitted by tammyswanson
JOHN NGIRACHU, I noticed you didn't show ANY sources that confirm what you said,"Age-old ritual shown to reduce chances of being infected with cervical cancer". What study is that? So cancer is an 'infection'? There is no studies that actually confirm this. That is a MYTH, just as it's a MYTH that circumcision prevents AIDS. If that was true, then almost all circumcised males in the USA would NOT have AIDS..and THEY DO!
Posted December 15, 2008 05:19 AM -
Submitted by Hugh77
The wives need to be told: 1. That circumcision *will not* protect them from being infected by their husbands. 2. That circumcision *might* protect their husbands *sometimes* from being infected by other women, if their husbands aren't using condoms. 3. That circumcision *might* protect their husbands *sometimes* from being infected by them, if the wives are already infected and they aren't using condoms (but obviously not if he is already infected). So circumcising husbands is not much of a bargain for wives, even assuming the trials are not flawed. And they are.
Posted November 27, 2008 11:19 PM -
Submitted by ml66uk
Circumcision can only possibly help men who have unsafe sex with HIV+ partners, so why this bizarre obsession with genital surgery when we know that ABC works better than circumcision ever could? (ABC=Abstinence, Being Faithful, Condoms). Diverting funds and attention from ABC will cost lives, not save them.
Posted November 27, 2008 09:47 PM -
Submitted by blessedsam
Uncircumcision is not the cause for HIV increase in marriage but infidelity is.It is disappointing to hear a minister miss this important point. If the married couple remain faithful to each other where would the virus have a chance to come into that cycle? Let's promote morality so as to curb the spread of HIV.
Posted November 25, 2008 08:56 AM
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This 'article' is a TOTAL fabrication. It makes doctors look like uneducated fools, because doctors who think circumcision actually prevents any disease is living in a paradise..a FOOLS PARADISE. This article belongs there too. This will INCREASE the death rate, because these people will falsely believe they are 'protected' when in fact they are NOT. Give them condoms, it would be CHEAPER!