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Lessons from Swaziland: male circumcision

By Wilson Johwa

We already know that male circumcision is the next biggest frontier in South Africa's fight against HIV-AIDS.

Enabling policy guidelines are still being finalised before the expected roll-out. This could be anytime soon, most definitely after the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup which, mind you, is expected to chew up an extra 1.5 billion condoms that the government is providing.

While doubts and counter arguments follow male circumcision, it is possible that South Africa can learn something from Swaziland. However, unlike South Africa which has a mixed experience regarding male circumcision, the Swazi kingdom has one of the lowest circumcision rates in the world, most of which are performed for medical reasons.

But the scale of the AIDS epidemic made it consider any intervention that would help reduce the scale of the AIDS epidemic. Swaziland has among the most acute HIV epidemics in the world, with HIV prevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics estimated at 42% in 2008.

Circumcision Season

By Melissa Meyer

It is circumcision season again, and newspapers are telling stories of young Xhosa men who flock to the mountains where they subject themselves to mutilation and a certain risk of death.

The casualties have been dutifully tallied: towards the end of the June season, the Sunday Times reported 44 deaths, 270 maimed genitals and 13 penile amputations.

This has been a particularly gruesome initiation season and whilst there has been intelligent discussion in the media around issues of tradition and manhood, coupled with much-need exposure of illegally operating surgeons, the macabre stories of botched circumcisions seem to speak loudest.

Media must provide context when tradition and medicine collide

Two traditions that bear an impact on HIV/AIDS prevention have caught the attention of the press over the last few weeks.