Spurred by medical research showing that male circumcision greatly reduces the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission, more and more men in Rwanda and other African countries are opting for the procedure.
Across the AIDS-ravaged continent, the health imperative is challenging centuries-old beliefs about male circumcision. Most traditional African cultures see the practice as a male rite of passage, but many societies do not. It is believed that just one in five African men is circumcised.
In Rwanda, an overwhelmingly Christian nation, government health officials plan to launch a nationwide campaign to promote male circumcision. Here, the local word for the practice is "gusilamula," meaning to make oneself a Muslim. Rwandan Health Minister Innocent Nyaruhirira said the voluntary campaign first will target soldiers, police officers, and university students.
Many young Rwandan men are not waiting, however. Nurse Justin Gatete said he performed more than 1,000 circumcisions at a Kigali clinic last year alone. "When it's something to do with life and death, you ignore the cultural aspect," said Gatete.
Rwanda is being aided by US government experts, who are working with local authorities to formulate the campaign. Rwandan officials want to reduce the cost of the procedure, which can be up to $55 at private hospitals, so that most people can afford it. Officials also want to make sure that basic medical insurance covers it.
"We're not going to wake up one morning and have all men be circumcised," said Anita Asiimwe, director of the government's Treatment and Research AIDS Center. "We need to see how best to implement this."
Already, Kenya, Swaziland, and Zambia have decided to offer male circumcision in public clinics.
02/24/08
AFRICA: HIV Fight Boosts Circumcisions
Source: Miami Herald:: Shashank Bengali; Courtesy of the CDC National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention