SOUTH AFRICA: Men refuse, so babies to be cut

health-e (South Africa)
August 13, 2014

Government to promote infant male circumcision

by Ayanda Mkhwanazi
With government still far off its goal to medically circumcise 4.3 million by 2016, Department of Health officials say they plan to begin promoting medical male circumcision (MMC) among infants and young boys.

[So when men resist, do it to people who can't resist - how cynical is that?]

Since the 2010 launch of the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign, almost 1.4 million men have been circumcised. This means that with only two years to go until the 2016 deadline, government has only reached about a third of its target.

“We need to improve our performance in the next two years,” said Dayanund Loykissoonlal, MMC programme manager at the National Health Department. “We did nearly half a million (circumcisions) in 2014 so we are moving but not fast enough.”

He added that the department planned to explore approaches to encourage parents to medically circumcise boys after birth and as young children.

[This is illegal:]
 

Children's Act, 2005 (Act No. 38 of 2005) …Chapter 2 : General Principles 12. Social, cultural and religious practices 1) Every child has the right not to be subjected to social, cultural and religious practices which are detrimental to his or her well-being. 2) ... [age of marriage] 3) Genital mutilation or the circumcision of female children is prohibited. 4)[-7)] Virginity testing ... 8) Circumcision of male children under the age of 16 is prohibited, except when- a) circumcision is performed for religious purposes in accordance with the practices of the religion concerned and in the manner prescribed; or b) circumcision is performed for medical reasons on the recommendation of a medical practitioner. 9) Circumcision of male children older than 16 may only be performed- a) if the child has given consent to the circumcision in the prescribed manner; b) after proper counselling of the child; and c) in the manner prescribed. 10) Taking into consideration the child’s age, maturity and stage of development, every male child has the right to refuse circumcision.

The department also continues to work with the traditional sector to improve safety and links with the HCT campaign, Loykissoonlal added.

Soweto general practitioner Dr Don Pupuma said he always encourages patients to circumcise their little ones as early as possible because the after effects are less severe.

“It is distinctly painless when you are a youngster (because) you have less erections,” said Pupuma speaking to journalists and medical professionals in Johannesburg yesterday.

[Nonsense]

...

Large clinical trials in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda found that medical male circumcision could reduce a man’s risk of contracting HIV by up to 60 percent.

[But no studies anywhere have shown any effect of infant genital cutting on HIV acquisition.]

With about six million people living with HIV in South Africa, CEO of the specialist HIV care and training company Careworks Harry Lake said the country must prioritise resources for medical male circumcision.

“We have got to put as many resources as possible into MMC so that we can reverse these numbers,” Lake said.

[There is no evidence anywhere yet that mass-circumcision has had any effect on HIV numbers.]