THE Ministry of Health is planning to roll out male circumcision free of charge countrywide as a preventive strategy against HIV/AIDS. This comes in the wake of research that suggests circumcised men have a lower risk of contacting sexually transmitted diseases.

More than reducing the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, professionals say, circumcision also helps in averting other medical complications such as penile cancer, urinary tract infections and the swelling of the foreskin.

Circumcision, however, does not provide complete protection against HIV infection. Health experts stress that circumcised men, like their uncircumcised counterparts, can still contract the virus that causes AIDS and infect their sexual partners.

There is fear that circumcised individuals risk acquiring and transmitting HIV should they not follow the surgeon’s prescriptions and engage in sexual intercourse during the recommended healing period. A person must avoid sex for about six weeks after circumcision to allow for healing. Men are also warned against leaning on circumcision as a shield against the deadly disease.

The mistaken notion that circumcision is a safe shield against the deadly disease, it is feared, has driven circumcised men into having unprotected sex with many partners, thereby putting their lives in greater danger.

I reiterate that circumcision only helps in reducing the risk of contracting the disease. As a comprehensive prevention method, it is advisable that one goes for HIV testing before committing to circumcision because this helps in knowing one’s status.

Health officials say adult male circumcision is safe when performed correctly by trained professionals. However, some people, especially in rural areas, may disguise themselves as surgeons and end up putting people’s lives at risk by cutting beyond the foreskin which results into prolonged bleeding and pain.

Circumcision comes in as an additional strategy to the Abstinence, Be faithful and Condom use (ABC). However, the health ministry should sensitise the public about it and what it entails through the media, local leaders and public debates for successful implementation.

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