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Acting on evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission by up to 60 percent, some countries in southern Africa are encouraging, sometimes paying for, men to undergo the procedure. The campaigns, however, are facing a variety of cultural and other barriers.Zimbabwe has set an aggressive goal of having 30,000 men circumcised by the end of 2010. Donor funding allows the service to be offered free. So far, 4,000 men have participated. "In many households, the issue of circumcision is still treated with suspicion and we need to do more campaigns," said Owen Mugurungi, head of Zimbabwe's national HIV prevention program.
Swaziland seeks to have 80 percent of men ages 15-24 circumcised over the next four years. As in many other countries that encourage circumcision, there is a concern in Swaziland that it will be seen as a replacement for condom use. The concept of circumcision is not new to Swaziland, as trials on its impact were initiated there five years ago.
Health care workers encouraging circumcision in Africa are careful to distinguish the medical procedure from ritual circumcision, which can result in complications or death.
Other cultures seem simply closed to the idea of circumcision. "Malawi is not a circumcised country, so circumcision cannot work. It is very difficult to implement as a policy," said Mary Shawa, head of Malawi's AIDS and nutrition program.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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