|
the Jakarta Globe Govt Denies Plans for Mandatory Male Circumcision in PapuaJayapura. Authorities in Indonesia’s remote Papua province say they have no plans to make male circumcision mandatory, despite media reports to the contrary. “The government does not want to make male circumcision compulsory,” Constant Karma, secretary of the Provincial Commission and head of the Provincial AIDS Commission, told IRIN in the provincial capital of Jayapura. “However, the government is promoting medical male circumcision as part of its reproductive health strategy, which includes HIV.” Only about 5 percent of ethnic Papuans in the region — comprised of Papua and West Papua provinces — are circumcised, against 70 percent of non-Papuans. According to Indonesia’s National AIDS Commission, HIV prevalence in Papua stands at 2.4 percent among 15-49 year-olds, against 0.2 percent in the rest of the country, where male circumcision is commonly practiced. Karma’s comments came a week after local media reports cited Jayapura administration officials reporting plans to require all male residents to undergo mandatory circumcision as part of their efforts to curb transmission rates. ... Opposition Most native Papuans associate male circumcision with Islam, the majority religion of most Indonesians. At the same time, some church officials continue to question its importance in curbing the spread of HIV. “I don’t believe male circumcision significantly reduces the risk of HIV,” said Pastor Sadrak Simbiak, a prominent protestant minister in Manokwari, the provincial capital of West Papua province. “Instead, people should focus on abstinence and being faithful to their partners.” [and CONDOMS] ... |
|
The Local (Sweden) Swedish docs in circumcision protestBy Clara Guibourg Circumcision of young boys for religious and non-medical reasons ought to be banned in Sweden, urged the Swedish Paediatric Society (Svenska barnläkarföreningen, BLF). In a statement submitted to the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen), the society called the procedure an assault. "We consider it to be an assault on these boys," Staffan Janson, chairman of BLF's committee for ethical issues and childrens' rights, said to newspaper Göteborgs-Posten (GP). Removing small boys' foreskin for reasons other than medical is controversial in Sweden. After discussing the matter for several years, BLF has now concluded that the procedure ought to be banned on the grounds that the children are unable to form a decision in the matter. According to BLF and Staffan Janson, circumcision is an attack on boys' integrity. "It's such a complicated and difficult question, but even so, we've decided that this is a procedure to be done away with," Janson said. "It's a mutilation of a child unable to decide for himself." Not everyone agrees that circumcision is an assault, however. "Parents decide things for their children all the time," Omar Mustafa, head of the Islamic Association in Sweden, said to GP. "Allowing parents to decide over this matter isn't stranger than allowing them to decide whether their child is to be vaccinated or not," he continued. |
Mother claims doctor botched son's circumcisionBy Sarah Batista GASTONIA, NC (WBTV) - A Gastonia mother is worried her three-month old son may suffer long term affects after undergoing what she calls, a botched circumcision. When Christy Falls elected to have her newborn son circumcised, she trusted the procedure would go just fine. But within hours of bringing little Josiah home, things took a turn for the worse. "We got him home an hour after the procedure and noticed a diaper full of blood, I mean full of blood," said Falls. [A baby can afford to lose no more than 35ml - two tablespoons - of blood before his life is in danger.] Falls immediately took the baby to the emergency room where doctors were able to stop the bleeding. "They told me they had cut a vein, he told me that," said Falls. [More likely the frenular artery] It's enough to make any parent cringe. But as it turns out, what happened to little Josiah is not unheard of. "We take every precaution to minimize that risk, but it can happen," said Dr. Jamie Lye, a pediatrician at Eastover Pediatrics in Charlotte. Dr. Lye has experience in infant circumcisions. He did not perform Josiah's surgery. He says circumcisions can reduce the risk of urinary tract infections and penile cancer down the road. [Cold comfort when the baby dies of it.] But there's no rule that says it's necessary and as with any procedure, parents should be aware of possible risks. "It's something that we leave up to the parents to decide and our role as pediatricians is to help inform them of the risks," said Dr. Lye. Josiah is still healing. [Josiah is lucky to be alive.] Doctors don't anticipate any further complications, but Falls worries there could be some down the road. She hopes other parents learn from her ordeal. "I would do extra research, check all the pros and cons," she said. WBTV is not naming the doctor's office involved because there's no evidence of wrongdoing. Falls is considering filing a lawsuit against the doctor's office. |
|
AllAfrica.com Nigeria: Women With Painful Lives- Female Genital Mutilation: The Silent KillerBy Ruby Leo Agatha William (not real name) smiled at me during a lecture on the evils of female genital cutting. As Mr Anselm Okolo, the facilitator pointed out the dangers of encouraging the practice and the negative effects it has on the girl child, Agatha seemed amused. Agatha turned to me and said, " I was also circumcised at age 10 and I don't think it is a big deal". ... Agatha later confided in me and said, "I don't know what the fus[s] is all about, am completely normal, it has not diminished my desire for sex because am sexually active, though am not married I can't tell if it has affected my chances of having children. ... But Bunmi's story is quite different. She said her mother and her elder sister mutilated her before her wedding when she was 16 to save her from the pains of losing her virginity during intercourse. According to her, having sex is an ordeal, a duty to be preformed if one has to keep her marriage and have children and not done for pleasure. ... A report complied by USAID, BRIDGE and PRB reveals that a discouraging trend has emerged in some countries where medical professionals are increasingly performing the procedure. ... Ejiro Otive Igbuzor, the former executive director of Women Empowerment and Reproductive Health Centre (WERHC) speaking on the evils of female genital mutilation pointed out that the practice of FGM is performed in nearly all states in Nigeria. ... In the North, Igbuzor said most girls are subjected to "Gishiri cuts", wherein the vagina is ripped to relieve obstructed labour or expand the vagina opening of a young girl in order for her husband to penetrate easily during sexual intercourse. He lamented that Gishiri cut is a crude form of episiotomy but added that because the cut is usually done haphazardly, many girls have bled to death. ... |
|
Radio NZ International Samoan man investigated for illegally circumcising boysThe police in Samoa are investigating a man for unlawfully carrying out circumcisions on 28 teenage boys. Most of the youths later needed medical care at the Poutasi District Hospital. A senior nurse says the first seven victims were brought to the hospital last Friday morning when parents became concerned at the impact of the operations. The nurse says the boys’ penises were septic and swollen. ... The parents of the 28 victims had paid the man, who had no medical qualifications, 15 US dollars each for the circumcisions. |
|
Slovenia Times Catholic Church Condemns OmbudsmanThe Justice and Peace Commission of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference expressed its support for the Islamic and Jewish communities in Slovenia, which have expressed outrage over the Human Rights Ombudsman's opinion that circumcision for non-medical reasons is a violation of children's rights. The commission stressed today that the Ombudsman's statement, which had already been rejected by the Jewish and Muslim communities last week, was in violation of both Slovenian legislation and human rights, considering it a public call for disrespecting identities of at least two Slovenian religious communities. The president of the commission, Maribor Archbishop Marjan Turnšek, moreover said in the press release that this was not in line with the Constitution and the religious freedoms act, as well as "a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms". Turnšek claimed that the Ombudsman did not prove that circumcision would harm the children's health, and that it was not justified that religious circumcision had elements of a criminal act. The opinion "limits religious freedom and the right to religious education of children" of Muslim and Jewish parents, according to him. Turnšek added that the Ombudsman acted in violation of the religious freedoms act because it did not consult religious communities and churches before releasing its opinion. The commission also said that circumcision for religious reasons was not forbidden in virtually any developed and secular country. It called on all relevant state bodies to reject the biased opinion, which had been published by the Ombudsman at the beginning of the month. [This contradicts the Catholic Church's official position on circumcision.] |
|
the Standard (Kenya) Review of post-election cases beginsBy Steve Mkawale A taskforce speeding up investigations and prosecution of 2008 post-election violence cases has assured victims they would get justice. The team of 17 held its first meeting Friday at NSSF Building in Nairobi to unravel the 6,081 pending cases and pledged to be independent, fair and objective. ... The team will review, re-evaluate and re-examine the status of investigations. It will also look at the cases that have been concluded, to re-open them if there is fresh evidence. ... The process seeks to inject a fresh pace to unravel those who killed, burnt homes, looted, raped and forcibly circumcised people during the post-election violence in 2007-2008. ... |
30m [sic] girls await knife in SudanBy Reem Abbas UNICEF has stated that an estimated three million girls will be subjected to female circumcision in Sudan. The treasurer of the National Council for Child Welfare, Mr Gamar Habbani, called it a “massacre promoted by traditions” in a workshop led by UNICEF and the National Council on Tuesday. It is estimated that 90 per cent of Sudanese women faced one of the four types of female circumcision until the late 1990s, with pharaonic circumcision, the most severe type, being very widespread. UNICEF estimates that about 140 million girls in the world, almost all in Africa and some parts of the Middle East had to undergo the procedure. Reducing sexual desire? The Sudanese society believes that FC reduces the sexual desire of a girl and makes her pure and a virgin until marriage. However, it has many serious health problems and causes complications during pregnancy. The first movement against FC was in the 18th century by a religious Sheikh named Hassan Wad Hossona. In 1946, Sudan, still under British administration, banned circumcision, however, the law has never been implemented. |
Circumcision rituals "teach respect for women" ...
|
AFP Mozambican woman 'was raped for walking in field'By Johannes Myburgh MAPUTO — A 35-year-old woman walked through a field in northern Mozambique, near where a group of teenage boys were undergoing their ritual circumcision into adulthood. Accusing her of trespassing on sacred ground forbidden to women, the traditional leader meted out his punishment: He ordered 17 of his young initiates to gang rape her. Four of the youths were arrested, but no trial date has been set, Delfino Jose, from Mozambique's unit for crimes against women told AFP. In Mozambique, many court cases simple fall off the radar and never go to trial. The case has ripped open a searing debate about women and tradition, in a country lauded for advancing women in politics. ... Award-winning health journalist Pedro Nacuo justified the gang rape in a column, saying the woman had repeatedly trespassed on purpose. Hospital staff treated her like an attempted suicide case, assuming she knew the consequences of walking in the area, he said. "The nurses... treated her as they would treat someone who deliberately steps in front of a car to be run over," he wrote in the state-run Noticias newspaper. ... |
|
AllAfrica.comAllAfrica.com Kenya: Nation Leads in Abandoning Female Cut, Says UN AgencyBy Kevin J Kelley New York — Kenya has achieved the greatest rate of reduction in female genital mutilation among 15 black African countries, the United Nations Population Fund has announced. Incidents of female circumcision fell by nearly 16 percent in Kenya from 2003 to 2009, the fund says in a report released on the UN's International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. The survey also finds that younger women in Kenya are abandoning the practice at a faster rate than females in the same age group in the 14 other countries taking part in a UN-sponsored anti-cutting programme. [The wording implies that it is the women themselves who choose to be cut.] There is now a 25 percentage point differential in prevalence of the female cut between Kenyans aged 15-19 and Kenyans aged 40-44, the report finds. "These encouraging findings show that social norms and cultural practices are changing, and communities are uniting to protect the rights of girls and women," says UN Population Fund director Babatunde Osotimehin. The report notes that Kenya adopted a Prohibition of FGM Act last October. It also cites public renunciations of female cutting by the El Chamus elders and by the Pokot community last year. |
Sentaor thinks circumcision prevents congenital disease, spina bifida!Thank you for writing. I rely on feedback from fellow Coloradans to be an effective legislator. Senate Bill 090, known as the Medicaid circumcision bill, would provide vital preventative health care for boys. I understand that the issue of male circumcision is controversial because it is at the intersection of medical and cultural debate, and I respect the varying factors that must be weighed. However, reliable studies prove that male circumcision reduces instances of infectious disease, some congenital obstructive urinary tract anomalies, neurogenic bladder, spina bifida, and urinary tract infections. [Neurogenic bladder is a lack of bladder control due to a brain or nerve condition. An internet search failed to find any studies, reliable or otherwise, proving that circumcision reduces its incidence. Spina bifida is a congenital condition. and by definition, neonatal circumcision can not prevent congenital conditions.] A UCLA AIDS Institute study reports that if states opt to not cover male circumcision the rate of HIV in boys who were born into low-income families will likely go up. [Baby boys have sex?] Senate Bill 090 helps give those boys the same preventative healthcare as boys with non-Medicaid health plans. Organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are working toward the same goal abroad, giving to the Global Fund for AIDS prevention. The Foundation cites studies that say [voluntary adult] male circumcision reduces HIV transmission [from women to men] by up to 70% in non-industrialized countries. Up until July 1, 2011, Colorado covered male circumcision under Medicaid, and while the programmatic cut will save the state about $186,000 yearly, we must recognize that preventative care is key to sustainable savings. Thank you again for writing and expressing your opinion. Even though we may disagree, I value your input. Sincerely,
|
|
STA (Slovenia) Ombudsman under Fire from Muslims for Opposing CircumcisionLjubljana, 7 February (STA) - Slovenian Muslims have expressed outrage over the Human Rights Ombudsman's opinion that circumcision for non-medical reasons is a violation of children's rights. The opinion was also rejected by the Jewish Community of Slovenia.
|
|
the Star (Kenya) Cut' men warnedBy Samuel Otieno Researchers are calling for measures to discourage premature resumption of sex by newly-circumcised men after a study in Nyanza province found out that 31 per cent of men had not followed the recommended 42-day abstinence period. The researchers said resumption of sex before the wound heals could increase the risk of HIV contraction since it facilitates the transmission of the virus. Researchers from the University of Illinois, Chicago, US and the Nyanza Reproductive Health Society and Impact Research and Development Organisation, also found out that men living with HIV have higher chances of infecting their partners if they do not follow the advice. “These findings highlight the need for innovative strategies to encourage men who seek VMMC services, and who are already involved in a sexual relationship, to abstain from sexual activity during the post-VMMC healing time,” says Amy Herman-Roloff, the principal investigator of the study. The research was part of the Male Circumcision Monitoring and Evaluation Study, funded by the Male Circumcision Consortium. The researchers analysed data on 1,343 men of 18 years and above. |
|
the Jakarta Globe Papua to Require Male Circumcision in AIDS FightThe Jayapura administration is planning to require male residents to undergo circumcision in an effort to cut HIV/AIDS transmission rates in Papua. Edison Muabuay, an administration spokesman, said the program was spurred by numerous studies worldwide that found circumcision to be an effective tool against the spread of HIV/AIDS. [No, by three flawed studies in Africa.] The World Health Organization has said that male circumcision, performed by well-trained professionals in sterile settings, can reduce the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by 60 percent. [No, by "up to 60%" - or down to zero.] “Therefore, the obligatory circumcision will be regulated in 2012, to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in Papua,” Edison said on Sunday. There are 796 people with either AIDS or HIV on record in Papua, according to data from the Aids Handling Commission (KPA) and Health Department of Papua, including 335 HIV cases and 461 AIDS cases. Of those cases 330, or 41.5 percent, are male, and 466, or 58.5 percent, are female. “The worst is that the disease infects people of all ages and sexes. This number should be our concern and [we need to] take breakthrough steps. In Papua, we will require circumcision,” Edison said. He declined to go into further detail on how the administration would compel males to report for circumcision, or what would happen to those men who failed to do so. Details on how many men were targeted for circumcision through the program were unavailable as well. The Health Department and Regional Public Hospital of Yowar in Jayapura have been ordered to provide the necessary instruments and supplies for the program, but will receive funding from the 2012 regional budget, Edison said. “The instruments will be distributed among the clinics of districts because the program not only covers people in towns, but also villagers.” According to KPA data, HIV/AIDS affects Papuans of all different backgrounds, from sex workers to housewives to even a handful of religious leaders. “Those prove that the handling of HIV/AIDS is the collective responsibility of society, religious leaders, indigenous leaders, youths and also government,” Edison said. |
|
IPP News (Tanzania) NSSF members call for HIV awareness packageBy Lusekelo Philemon The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has been asked to come up with a special HIV awareness package for its members, who are living in rural areas. ... Dr Petronia Ngiloi from Tumaini Hospital said male circumcision shouldn’t be taken as an excuse of not contracting HIV. “There is a very wrong perception amongst men, who are circumcised that they won’t get the virus. This perception should be discouraged,” she said, adding that male circumcision provides only partial protection. There is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60 percent. WHO/UNAIDS recommendations emphasise that male circumcision should be considered an efficacious intervention for HIV prevention in countries and regions with heterosexual epidemics, high HIV and low male circumcision prevalence. ... |
|
Health Policy Solutions Senate committee votes to restore Medicaid funds for circumcisionBy Diane Carman Despite the spirited testimony of seven opponents to routine circumcision, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Thursday voted 6 to 3 to restore Medicaid funding for the procedure. A change in the long bill, the budget document developed by the Joint Budget Committee, dropped funding for the procedure last year, making Colorado one of 18 states to defund circumcision under Medicaid. Senate Bill 90, introduced by Sen. Joyce Foster, D-Denver, would restore the funding, estimated at $186,500 annually. Foster told the committee that the bill was about disease prevention, fairness and “social justice.” More important, she said, is that “it’s about parental choice.” Dr. Jeremiah Bartley, a Brighton obstetrician-gynecologist, cited studies suggesting that circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infections. “AIDS is a life sentence,” he said, adding that any way that the disease can be prevented should be pursued. Scot Anderson, a physicist who opposes funding for routine circumcision, challenged Bartley’s assertion that circumcision reduces the rate of HIV transmission in this country, saying that the studies Bartley cited referred to HIV rates in Africa where myriad other factors affect HIV transmission. “In this country we’ve been circumcising children longer than 60 years and we have the highest rate of HIV of any developed country in the world,” Anderson said. The United States and Europe provide a “huge database” on the relationship between HIV and circumcision, he said. About 80 percent of European men are not circumcised while 80 percent of American men are and Europe’s HIV infection rate is a fraction of that of the U.S. Anderson also disputed the estimated cost of circumcision to the state, saying that, based on average costs and the number of procedures reported in hospitals across the state, the likely cost to taxpayers was closer to $4 million annually. Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, questioned proponents about spending scarce Medicaid funds on a procedure that is not considered medically necessary and isn’t recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Should the money for the poor go to more pressing medical needs?” Sen. Irene Aguilar, D-Denver, compared the procedure to routine mammograms for women under 50 and tests for Prostate-Specific Antigens – both of which are not recommended by medical organizations but are covered under Medicaid. [But let anyone compare male genital cutting with female genital cutting and all hell breaks loose!] Gillian Longley, a registered nurse in Louisville, described routine circumcision of newborn boys as “elective, non-therapeutic, cosmetic surgery. “It is neither medically necessary nor cost-effective,” she said. Mark Filbert challenged the assertion that public funding for circumcisions was a matter of social justice. “Nobody has said anything about the choice of the person on whom this is done,” he said. “I very much resent that this decision was made for me. … I don’t think state money should be used to potentially violate the individual human rights of men.” Senators Ellen Roberts, R-Durango; Jean White, R-Hayden; and Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, voted against restoring the funding. Senators Jeanne Nicholson, D-Black Hawk; Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood; Linda Newell, D-Littleton; Mitchell; Aguilar; and Foster voted for the bill. SB-90 will move to the Appropriations Committee for further consideration. The Associated Press Colorado may revive circumcision fundingDENVER—Circumcisions for Colorado boys could again be covered by Medicaid, a year after circumcisions were eliminated to save money. A Senate committee voted 6-3 Thursday to restore circumcisions as a covered medical procedure for Medicaid recipients. If approved, the change would cost Colorado some $230,000 a year. The procedure was dropped last year amid complaints that circumcisions aren't medically necessary and that the money could be better spent elsewhere. Several other states stopped paying for the optional procedure. Supporters of covering circumcisions argued that the procedure has medical benefits and isn't purely cosmetic. The bill now heads to the Appropriations Committee. |
|
Digital Journal Colorado Attempts to Reinstate Medicaid Funding for Infant Circumcision that the Legislature Previously Deemed a Waste of Precious Medical DollarsBerkeley, CA (PRWEB) The human rights group Attorneys for the Rights of the Child (ARC; http://www.arclaw.org) encourages Colorado citizens to voice their opinions on the fact that even though Colorado eliminated Medicaid coverage for unnecessary infant circumcisions last year, becoming the 18th U.S. state to do so, now members of the Colorado Senate want to reinstate funding for the surgery. J. Steven Svoboda, ARC's Executive Director, said of the bill's sponsor, "Senator Joyce Foster has authored Senate Bill 12-090, which would authorize new spending at a time when the state of Colorado is seeking ways to reduce costs across the state’s entire budget. If Senator Foster is successful, she and her co-sponsors could cause Colorado taxpayers to be on the hook for as much as $186,500.00 a year or nearly $2 million over 10 years, an amount determined by the committee that proposed the elimination of infant circumcision from Medicaid coverage last year." Dr. Susan Pharo, director of Medicaid and External Pediatric Care for Kaiser Permanente, called any medical benefit from circumcision “insignificant” last year after the cut went into effect. Svoboda added, "Medicaid funding for infant circumcision is inconsistent with medical evidence." National medical organizations around the world, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Medical Association (AMA) agree that there is insufficient justification for performing the procedure on newborns absent specific medical indications. Responding to Senator Foster’s proposal to spend scarce taxpayer money on infant circumcision, Svoboda commented, “The current trend is for states to eliminate any Medicaid spending that does not directly benefit the recipients. Outside Colorado, infant circumcision is recognized by 17 other states as having no immediate benefit to infants with enough costs to warrant its elimination except in the case of medical need. Restoring funding to Medicaid for infant circumcision flouts this reality and wastes precious medical dollars at a time of decreased funding for necessary medical care and procedures. Parents can always obtain the surgery through Medicaid with the appropriate diagnosis in the rare instance where it becomes necessary; before then and for solely cosmetic purposes, it is wasteful.” The bill's committee hearing will be held on Thursday, February 2, 2012. ... |
|
Aidsmap Quarter of men resume sex before wounds from circumcision fully healed in Zambian studyBy Michael Carter Approximately a quarter of men undergoing circumcision resume sexual activity before their wounds have fully healed, Zambian research published in the online edition of AIDS shows. Most of the men reporting the early resumption of sexual activity engaged in unprotected sex, often with multiple partners. The investigators calculated that early resumption of sexual activity at this level could undermine the protective effect of circumcision against HIV at a population level. Indeed, if the proportion of men engaging in sex during wound healing increased to 30%, then circumcision would lead to more new HIV infections in women than it would avert. “The prevalence of sexual activity and, in particular, risky sex during the wound healing period in the Zambian context is not trivial,” comment the investigators. “Even relatively small increases in early sex can have a deleterious impact on women to a point where new infections exceed averted infections in that year.” A number [3] of randomised controlled trials have shown that circumcision can reduce a man’s risk of infection with HIV by approximately [no, up to] 66%. [This is one of the higher guesses.] It has been calculated [on the basis of 73 infections perhaps averted in less than two years] that universal male circumcision in sub-Saharan Africa could avert 2 million new HIV infections in the first ten years. Male circumcision programmes are therefore being implemented in a number of countries in the region with generalised HIV epidemics. Zambia embarked on a national circumcision programme in 2007. HIV-negative men aged between 13 and 39 years are targeted in this programme and in 2010, some 61,000 men underwent circumcision. However, the protective effects of circumcision suggested by randomised trials can be undermined by a number of factors. One of the most important is early resumption of sexual intercourse before the wounds from surgery have healed. Men undergoing circumcision are therefore counselled not to resume sexual activity until six weeks have passed. Investigators wished to establish how many men were having sex within this six-week period. They also wanted to see if any factors were associated with the early resumption of sexual activity, and if sex in the post-operative period would have wider implications for the impact of circumcision programmes on the prevention of new HIV infections. A total of 225 men were interviewed about their sexual behaviour before circumcision and again six weeks later. The men had a mean age of 21 years. At baseline they reported a mean of three lifetime sexual partners and 44% had a regular partner. Unprotected sex in the four weeks before circumcision was reported by 22% and 10% had been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection within the past twelve months. Just under a quarter (24%) of men reported resuming sex within the six-week healing period. Almost half (46%) of these men had sex within the first three weeks after surgery. Moreover, 81% of men resuming sex during the healing period reported unprotected sex, and 32% said they had had unprotected intercourse with two or more partners. Early resumption of sexual activity was associated with a higher number of lifetime sexual partners and unprotected sex in the period immediately before circumcision (p < 0.05). “Identifying men who already engage in risky sexual behaviour when they present for circumcision and targeting their counselling according might be effective,” suggest the authors. The investigators calculated that a 24% prevalence of sex during the six-week healing period among the 61,000 men circumcised in Zambia in 2010 would result in 69 more HIV infections compared to sexual abstinence for the duration of healing. Some 32 of these extra infections would be in men and 37 in women. However, even with this level of early sexual activity, approximately 230 HIV infections would be averted. Nevertheless, the investigators caution that resumption of sex during healing could put women at risk of HIV. If 30% of men undergoing circumcision had sex within the healing period, then more new HIV infections in women would be generated than averted. “The study findings suggest that the prevalence of risky sexual behaviour during the wound healing period is high,” write the investigators. “Programmes need to continue to emphasise to clients the risks associated with early resumption of sex.” Reference |
|
IPPMedia (Tanzania) Child subjected to FGM now admitted to hospitalBy Salome Kitomary A one- year child (name withheld) in Hai district, Kilimanjaro region is undergoing specialised medical treatment at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) due to over bleeding caused by an illegal circumcision. The girl was circumcised secretly in Ormolili village in the district recently, according to information issued by the Social Network for Educating the Society on the effects of Female Genital Mutilation (Nafgem). ... the child was circumcised by her own mother. The child’s grandmother, identified as Rehema and the mother are being held by police. The child's mother, Magdalena Julius (19), said her child was suffering from stomach infections, as a result she couldn’t learn how to walk even after attaining the age of 12 twelve months. She said some neighbours advised her to take the baby to a traditional healer. “I sent my child to her grandmother, who claimed in order for the child to be healed, she must undergo circumcision,” she said. However, the grandmother of the child, Rehema Taraa, said she didn’t know anything about the alleged circumcision. “Soon after my daughter in law came back, I saw my grandchild so weary and stained. I decided to take her to Hai District Hospital, and then she was referred to Mawenzi Hospital,” she said. Program Officer of Nafgem, Honoratha Nasua, said ... "We provide education and campaigns against such kind of practices and childhood marriages, we have a great challenge because nowadays circumcision is done secretly while babies are just months old. ... |
|
AllAfrica.com CSI Mission - We Are Here to Save LivesBy Emmanuel Weedee The President of the Firestone Natural Rubber Company, Mr. Dan J. Adomatis, has said a medical team under the banner of Children's Surgery International (CSI) is here to save the lives of Liberians. The CSI medical team, which arrived in Liberia Wednesday, January 25, 2012, is in the country to perform free medical surgical operations on afflicted Liberian children at the Firestone Medical Center in Duside, outside Harbel, Margibi County. ... Commenting briefly on the ongoing surgical operations, Madam [Lora] Koppel disclosed that the penis problems are the most complicated problems, noting, they take much [more] time than any other operations. She attributed the complicated problems to wrongful [botched] circumcision. ... |
Not so new...
|
The Star (Kenya) MEN GETTING SEXUALLY AND PHYSICALLY ABUSEDBy Diana Madegwa Forced male circumcision has become a new form of abuse among many others that go unreported for fear of stigmatization. The gender violence recovery center Executive director Grace Wangechi says many men go through physical and sexual abuse but choose [to] keep quiet to avoid ridicule from peers and the society which believes men should not [] show weakness. |
Not even whether, but where and by whom
|
The Citizen (Tanzania) One hacked to death in male circumcision confrontationBy Zephania Ubwani Arusha. One person was hacked to death here on Sunday and scores injured in clashes linked to spirited campaigns by traditionalists against male circumcision in hospitals. Already six people have been arrested and are being interrogated by the police over the killing which took place at around 3:30 pm on the material day at Enaboishu village near the city. The regional police commander Thobias Andengenye said the clashes started when about 100 young men from the Maasai and Waarusha community stormed the residence of one person identified as Saiboku Milanyi (48). The elder was reportedly being harrassed for his preferrence to take members of his family to medical facilities for circumcision rather than leaving the job to be carried out by traditional surgeons. The RPC said one of the 100-plus morans which had invaded the 'boma' of the security guard lost life when he was stabbed to death allegedly by one of the family members as the two sides fought. He was identified as George Sengeu, 25, a resident of Kivululu village which is close to the scene of crime. Those injured included Mr Milanyi himself, Alphas Samwel, 28, and Geoffrey Saidi, 21. The latter is a Form IV student at Engoitoto Secondary School which is located in the vicinity. The regional police boss declined to reveal the names of the six suspects who are being held in connection with the bloody incident. He added that they have launched intensive investigation to establish the cause of the clashes, the fatal one since a campaign agitated by morans against circumcision in hospitals started late last year. "We are trying to find out the root cause of the incident and establish who is to blame for the death and injuries", he said, denying that the police have been too slow to apprehend the culprits. He pleaded to the diehard traditionalists in the Maasai and Waarusha communities not to take law in their hands by punishing fellow tribesmen who do not hire traditional surgeons to circumcise their men and instead took them to hospitals. |
|
The Jerusalem Post Ethiopian Jews confront psychological traumaBy Judy Siegel-Itzkovich While many former immigrants from Ethiopia suffer from deep psychological scars, state agencies have so far ignored issue. Ethiopian Jews who endured the travails of reaching this country in the past few decades have more in common with Holocaust survivors than veteran Israelis can imagine. ... Prof. Danny Brom, director of the Israel Center for the Treatment of Psychotrauma of Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem (www.traumaweb.org) never realized the extent of emotional trauma suffered by many of these immigrants until he met and hired social worker Asher Mekunnet Rahamim. ... Many men, said Rahamim, were not prepared emotionally for the conversion process including ritual circumcision or a symbolic procedure releasing a few drops of blood and immersion in a mikve. They already felt Jewish, he said. Undergoing circumcision as an adult is a painful process [and it's not as a baby?] , and it is regarded by some as an insult to their manhood and can affect a couple’s sex life. This was an issue mainly for the Falashmura, Ethiopian Jews who were forced to become Christians in their native country. “There are men who have become impotent as result of the process; then the man may suspect his wife is not faithful to him,” Rahamim said, noting that his own brother was “forced to get circumcised.” ... |
Real headline: Cut Men Take More Risks
|
AllAfrica Kenya: Cut Men Have Many MatesBy Samuel Otieno THE Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation in conjunction with the National Male Circumcision taskforce have expressed concern over reports of multiple sex partners among those who recently underwent male circumcision. Nyanza provincial director of public health and sanitation, who is also the task force chairman Jackson Kioko, said there have been reports that those who have been circumcised are taking it as immunity against HIV. Speaking during the launch of the results of the third rapid results initiative on male circumcision, Kioko said the taskforce will conduct a study to ascertain post-male circumcision sexual behaviour. During the launch of the exercise, its critics including the Luo Council of Elders said the programme will be disastrous if not well packaged and the beneficiaries sensitised on its implication. The council of elders argued that marketing male circumcision on the platform of preventing HIV was going to erode the overall goal since many men will take it as complete immunity. Studies conducted in Ra[k]ai in Uganda, Orange Farm in South Africa and Kisumu indicate that male circumcision can prevent HIV infection by over 60 per cent. The studies, however, warn that male circumcision should not be relied upon as a stand-alone intervention against HIV/Aids. |
|
Daily Monitor (Uganda) Baby dies after being circumcisedResidents accuse the medical personnel of discharging the baby before he regained consciousness. By Enid Ninsiima Kasese - Grief engulfed residents of Kasese Municipality when a three-weeks old baby died after undergoing circumcision. The baby’s mother Dorah Muhindo, said she was instructed by the health workers at St. Paul’s Health Centre IV not to feed the baby from 6am since the operation was to be done at 7am but it took place at 11am. A relative, who preferred anonymity, said the child was discharged at 5pm. A medical source at the health centre said: “Imagine a three-week-old child spent more than eight hours without eating and no fluids were given to him, obviously his glucose levels reduced causing dehydration and eventually death.” The parents said the child was discharged before he regained consciousness but his condition worsened when they reached home. The baby was taken back to the hospital but it was too late to save his life. However, health workers accused the mother of having breast-fed him before the recommended time. A death certificate from the health unit reads: “The child died because of being breast-fed before he gained consciousness.” Locals wondered how a child would be discharged by a medical worker before gaining consciousness. ... Residents have vowed to take the matter to court if the family drops the issue. Within four months, four children have died at St. Paul’s Health Centre IV and Bishop Masereka Health Centre, after circumcision./p> |
|
PlusNews KENYA: Male circumcision - women need counselling tooNAIROBI, 23 January 2012 (PlusNews) - A small Kenyan study has found that more women than men feel HIV is a less serious threat after their male partners are circumcised; the study also made local news for finding that female partners of recently circumcised men found sex more enjoyable. The University of Illinois' Chicago School of Public Health study of 51 young women - presented in December 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the 16th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually transmitted infections in Africa - found that most women were happy with the appearance of their partner's penis and enjoyed sex more after circumcision. However, the study also revealed that more women than men were likely to perceive HIV as a less serious threat - 51 percent of men compared with 76 percent of female participants, and to feel that condoms were less necessary following circumcision - 4 percent of men compared with 51 percent of female participants. A greater number of women than men said after circumcision, they were more likely to have more than one sexual partner - 22 percent compared with 2 percent of men, and to have sex without a condom - 28 percent against 2 percent of men. The study was conducted in Nyanza Province, home to the Luo, Kenya's largest non-circumcising ethnic community and the focus of the country's male circumcision programme. Since 2008, more than 350,000 men have been circumcised in Nyanza alone; the government aims to circumcise 1.1 million men by 2013. The study's authors say the findings highlight the need to involve female partners in the male circumcision process, which has a strong counselling component, impressing upon men the partial nature of the procedure's protection against HIV. "If women do not have a good understanding of the partial protection afforded by male circumcision against HIV, they may view circumcised men as 'safe' or even HIV-negative, just because they are circumcised," said Nelli Westercamp of the University of Illinois School of Public Health, one of the study's authors. "It is crucial to involve women in the male circumcision decision-making, whether through counselling or public health education specifically targeting women. Couples’ counselling before the procedure would perhaps be the most beneficial for women whose partners want to go for the cut," she added. "It will not only clarify the concept of partial protection, but also could make a difference in the men's healing process and time of resumption of sex after the procedure, if the woman is involved and supports the man through the process." According to Ronnie Asino, the district project coordinator for the Nyanza Reproductive Health Society, community outreach programmes target both men and women on all aspects of male circumcision. "We have community outreach programmes where we hold sensitization forums to educate people, including women, on the various aspects of male circumcision," he said. Asino noted that married men were usually accompanied by their spouses and were therefore more likely to benefit from couples’ counselling before the procedure. "Unmarried men will show up alone and it is them whose partners are more likely to miss out on the counselling provided," he added. [Aren't these issues that ought to have been addressed before embarking on mass-circumcision campaigns?] |
|
Santa Cruz Sentinel As Roe v. Wade ruling marks its 39th anniversary, reproductive rights still threatened, ACLU speaker tells Santa Cruz audienceBy Jessica M. Pasko SANTA CRUZ - Reproductive rights are better protected in California than in many other states, but that doesn't mean supporters should allow themselves to become complacent, Phyllida Burlingame of the American Civil Liberties Union said Saturday. Burlingame, director of reproductive justice policy for the ACLU's Northern California chapter, was the featured speaker at this year's Pro-Choice Brunch, held annually by the Reproductive Rights Network of Santa Cruz County. ... Several members of an anti-circumcision group held signs outside the brunch, to draw attention to what they say is the ACLU's involvement in a lawsuit against a ballot initiative that would have banned circumcision of male babies in San Francisco. "We're extraordinarily disappointed in the ACLU's stance on forced circumcision of males," said Jonathan Conte of Bay Area Intactivists. "We want equal rights for boys and intersex children," he said, explaining that the ACLU backed the federal law banning the procedures largely known as female circumcision or female genital mutilation. Burlingame briefly addressed the protests before her talk, explaining that the ACLU had opposed the bill because it fostered unnecessary divisiveness, and infringed on religious rights, among other reasons. ["Unnecessary divisiveness"? Since when was the ACLU afraid of divisiveness? And this at a celebration of Roe vs Wade? Religions have rights the way corporations have personhood. They don't. People have rights to practise religion, but they end, as other rights do, where other people's rights begin.] |
|
Times Live (South Africa) Toddler's tragic death after circumcisionBy Solly Maphumulo A Johannesburg doctor has been jailed for 10 years after a three-year-old boy died following circumcision surgery. Dr Charles Mdamombe - who tried to flee after the botched operation - was found guilty of culpable homicide in the death of Chinonso Onyenekwu at the Lister Poly Clinic in Johannesburg in January 2009. The boy did not wake up after the surgery and Mdamombe failed to examine him despite repeated attempts by a nurse to alert the doctor to the boy's deteriorating condition. Mdamombe also failed to ensure that the child had not eaten for six hours prior to a general anaesthetic being administered - and this resulted in him choking to death as the contents of his stomach pushed up into his lungs. [Since the circumcision was unnecessary, the circumcision killed him.] ... Botya said another nurse had told her the child had stopped breathing. She reported this to Mdamombe who opted to finish his lunch before responding. He thereafter told her the child was "fine". The nurse called him a further four times before he arrived and attempted to resuscitate the boy. Mdamombe then tried to run away but the child's father, Douglas Onyenekwu, managed to nab him with the help of security guards. Police were called and he was arrested. The 41-year-old was also convicted of practising without being registered with the Health Professions Council of SA. ... |
|
ABC7 (Denver) Circumcision Cuts Targeted By CO LawmakersBill Would Restore Medicaid Funding By Wayne Harrison DENVER -- Circumcisions would again receive state funding under a proposal introduced by several Colorado lawmakers. The bill would allow Medicaid to again cover circumcisions. The procedure was dropped from Medicaid last year as a money-saving move. Several states have stopped covering circumcisions amid concerns that they're not medically necessary. Colorado projected that it would save about $186,500 a year if it stopped covering circumcisions. Colorado's bill was proposed Thursday by several Democrats. It awaits a hearing in the Senate. Click here to find out more! Seventeen other states have dropped coverage for routine circumcisions under Medicaid. Circumcision is the most common medical procedure performed on children in the United States, but is far less common around the world. According to data from the World Health Organization, 75 percent of men in the U.S. have been circumcised compared with 30 percent in Canada and 6 percent in the United Kingdom. |
|
AlterNet Kenyans circumcise girls in Tanzania to evade law - reportBy Katy Migiro NAIROBI (TrustLaw) – Kenyan parents determined to circumcise their daughters, despite the outlawing of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), are taking them across the border to Tanzania, the African Woman and Child Feature Service reported. Traditional circumcisers from Kenya’s Kuria community crossed into Tanzania to cut a number of girls aged between seven and 15 during last month’s circumcision season, the report said. FGM is prohibited in Tanzania but the law is not effectively enforced. “Nobody will marry my daughter in the community if she is not circumcised,” one father, Wario Chacha, said in the report. “I do not want my family to be a laughing stock. My girl will have to be cut no matter how long it takes.” His 10-year-old daughter was one of 400 girls taken by local non-governmental organisations to rescue centres to protect them from being cut. One in three Kenyan women is circumcised, despite the practice being criminalised in the 2001 Children’s Act. In September 2011, Kenya passed the FGM Act into law providing for up to seven years in jail for anyone who commits FGM. |
"Feasting like woodpeckers"? Warn the trees!
|
Red Pepper (Uganda) 500 Whoppers SharpenedBy Simon Kabbale More than 500 men have had their whoppers circumcised in the ongoing Kamuli Safe Male Circumcision Campaign. The drive that kicked off last month is aimed at reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Several health practitioners and organisations such as the world health organisation have supported circumcision arguing that it reduces the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS significantly. However, men are warned not to take this for granted as they can still get infected if they live a reckless life. [Do they have to read between the lines to figure out that this means they must use condoms to protect their partners and themselves?] Most of these men were heard bo[a]sting of how they are now going to feast like woodpeckers on a tight deadline as compensation for the lost time. |
|
Stuff.co.nz Migrant girls 'at risk' of mutilationBy Neil Reid An international study says "a growing number" of girls and young women living in immigrant communities in New Zealand are at risk of genital mutilation. The practice - which involves the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons - is banned in New Zealand. Any person who carries out the procedure, or orders it to be done to a dependant, may be imprisoned for up to seven years. The Ministry of Health last year funded a series of workshops on the practice, with those present being told there was no evidence that the controversial female circumcision operations occurred in New Zealand. It is a stance that is also shared by the NZ Female Genital Mutilation Education Programme - a community-based initiative partly set up in response to the rising number of women settling in New Zealand from countries that practise the procedure. But a newly released United Nations report on a hoped-for global end to female genital mutilation states: "... a growing number of women and girls among immigrant communities have been subjected to or are at risk of female genital mutilation in Australia and New Zealand." Under New Zealand law, it is illegal to send or make any arrangement for a child to be sent out of the country to have the practice performed, to assist or encourage any person in New Zealand to perform the procedure on a New Zealand citizen or a resident outside of the country and to convince or encourage any other New Zealand citizen or resident to go outside of New Zealand to have the procedure performed. The law was passed in 1996 and to date there have been no prosecutions. ... |
Protesters Rally Against CircumcisionMarina, Calif. Supporters of the movement to ban [no, to age-restrict] circumcision in San Francisco came out Saturday to protest the American Civil Liberties Union on the California State University Monterey Bay Campus. San Francisco approved a November 2011 ballot measure to outlaw circumcision of minors in the city. But a judge took if off the ballot last summer, saying the city has no authority to ban circumcision. Supporters say ACLU members, who were holding a seminar today near the Monterey College of Law, played a big part in stopping the ballot measure. "We want little boys in this country to enjoy the same legal projection that little girls currently enjoy under federal law which prohibits any form of female circumcision or genital mutilation," said David Lane, an anti-circumcision activist. The activists say they will not be able to get the measure on another [local] ballot, but will continue to protest circumcision until a law banning them is on the books. |
|
Gant Daily New research highlights link between female circumcision, mental disordersNew York, NY, United States (IRIN) – New data out of Iraq shows what many psychologists suspected though little research had confirmed: Girls who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) are more prone to mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results of the research – conducted by Jan Ilhan Kizilhan of the University of Freiburg, an expert in psychotraumatology (psychotherapy for people who have suffered extreme trauma) – were published in the April-June 2011 edition of the European Journal of Psychiatry. Kizilhan found “alarmingly high rates” of PTSD (44 percent), depression (34 percent), anxiety (46 percent) and somatic disturbances (mental disorders whose symptoms are unexplainable physical illnesses – 37 percent) among a group of 79 circumcised girls in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, aged 8-14, who did not otherwise suffer any traumatic events. These rates were up to seven times higher than among non-circumcised girls from the same region and were comparable to rates among people who suffered early childhood abuse. Last year, shortly after receiving the results of the research, Kizilhan said, the Kurdish parliament in northern Iraq banned FGM/C. He told IRIN he hopes the results will also lead to more and better treatment of PTSD among girls who have undergone FGM/C, using special techniques which include the family in the process as much as possible. The existence of FGM/C in the Middle East is less known than in Africa. Estimates of the prevalence of FGM/C in Iraqi Kurdistan vary wildly depending on the province, but surveys have indicated the overall figure could be around 40 percent. The region is home to five million people, but has just 13 psychologists and only one with expertise in psychotherapy, Kizilhan said. |
|
The Observer (Uganda) Circumcision promo failingBy Kakaire A. Kirunda While there is high demand for circumcision services, it is not known how many men are undertaking the surgical procedure as part of efforts to reduce new HIV infections in the country, which stand at an annual average of 130,000. When three scientific studies in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda produced the same findings in 2007 that medical male circumcision reduces by 60 percent the chance of HIV infection in men, UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation asked countries to use it in combination with pre-existing measures such as ABC (Abstinence, Being faithful and Condom use). Recent research has also added treatment and pre exposure prophylaxis using antiretroviral therapy among discordant couples to the current prevention arsenal. It however emerged recently at a meeting in Kampala of the Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) National Task Force, that most of the institutions carrying out circumcision don’t share their data with the ministry of Health. According to the commissioner for National Disease Control, Dr Alex Opio, it is not possible to quantify the number of procedures due to lack of a comprehensive national report. “During supervision visits, I have found that while circumcision is happening in very many places the data is not being shared,” he said. “And as national chairperson, I do not have a single figure on the great work being done. We need to address this immediately and at least share some data on who is being circumcised, location, age group and adverse events after the surgery, if any.” Globally, use of data for evidencebased programming is increasingly taking centre stage in public health interventions. And with modelling studies showing what targets Uganda needs in the next five years, monitoring of data will be of significant importance. In the case of Uganda for instance, 4.2 million adult/adolescent men need to be circumcised in five years to avert 340,000 new HIV infections by 2025. [Or not.] However, with most circumcision programmes funded using foreign aid -now on a downward spiral – there are sustainability challenges. For example, given a decrease in funding during the August - November period, Bugiri hospital did not offer any circumcision services. This was similar in Kamuli. As a possible mitigation measure, several speakers agreed that there is need for integrating circumcision services in the health system to ensure sustainability. ... At the recent 16th international conference for AIDS and STIs in Africa, five international organisations launched a strategic framework for action to spur and coordinate efforts to circumcise 20.3 million men in 14 countries including Uganda in eastern and southern Africa by 2015. This was prompted by modelling studies that suggest that reaching, and then maintaining, 80-percent male circumcision coverage among men ages 15 to 49 years in these countries would prevent 3.4 million new HIV infections by 2025, saving an estimated $16.5 billion in HIV treatment costs. [Extrapolating from a total of 73 men...] ... |
That's more than 83% failure.
|
The Observer (Swaziland) Over 34 000 Swazi men circumcisedBy Winile Masinga OVER 34 000 Swazi men have undergone circumcision since the inception of the programme about four years ago. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Stephen Shongwe said the figures also included those of men who were circumcised during the Soka Uncobe campaign which ended last month. When the Soka Uncobe campaign was launched it had been anticipated that about 200 000 males would be circumcised. However, the figures reflected a shortfall of over 160 000. ... Swaziland introduced male circumcision as an HIV prevention method and it had been seen to be reducing infection. [Where are the figures?] Shongwe said circumcision had 60% chances of reducing infection of sexually transmitted illnesses. infections “Male circumcision prevents 60% of HIV infections in men.
... Shongwe added that the ministry will now maximise on neo-natal circumcision, which was the circumcision of infants soon after birth. [Having failed with those who can consent, they move on to those who can't. There is no evidence whatsoever that neonatal circumcision has any effect on HIV transmission. And babies don't have sex.] ... | ||||||||||
|
The Observer (Liberia) Girl, 17 Dies after Circumcision Reports emanating from Nimba County have it that a 17-year old girl has died after allegedly undergoing the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the town of New Yourpea. Those who allegedly administered the circumcision could not be reached for comment on the incident. Female genital mutilation is often performed by traditional “Zoes.” The practice is widely practiced in New Yourpea and other surrounding towns including Gblarlay. Though chief Zoe Poryei Zah could not be reached by the Daily Observer for her side of the story, the practice of FGM has never ceased, despite government’s banning of the practice. |
Was it a total failure?
|
the Observer (Swaziland) SOKA UNCOBE CAMPAIGN ENDS IN MARCHBy Hlengiwe Kunene After months of an aggressive exercise to circumcise men, the Soka Uncobe ["Circumcise and Conquer"] Male Circumcision campaign that saw thousands [?] of Swazi men removing their foreskins free of charge is coming to an end in March. The campaign began in 2010 and was supposed to end in September 2011, but PEPFAR, the main supporting partner, provided a six month extension. The end of this campaign translates to job losses for dozens of Swazis that had been contracted to offer their services and push the circumcision agenda, it has emerged. ... Explaining what Soka Uncobe was all about, the PS said it was an intense, time-bound campaign which would be followed by the integration of circumcision services in the current health system in Swaziland, including health centres, private providers and hospitals. He promised that the ministry of health would continue to implement programs of a similar nature in future. The Soka Uncobe campaign was conducted by the ministry of health through funds injected to Government by PEPFAR. While Swazi men seemed to have welcomed the idea to get circumcised, all was not rosy in this campaign because of the many myths and misconceptions that are still associated with circumcision. One of the most common myth that emerged from nowhere and spread around like wild fire was that the removed foreskins are taken away to make spices, but the ministry of health swiftly moved to quell such talk. ... The PS spoke highly of the ripple effects that circumcision brings, especially with studies showing that for every three men circumcised in Swaziland, one HIV infection is averted. “Male Circumcision prevents 60% of HIV infections in men. Circumcision as an HIV prevention initiative is an effective part of the combination prevention package. In addition, circumcision brings men into health care services where they receive risk reduction counseling, condom promotion and distribution and voluntary HIV testing and counseling”. [If the campaign is followed by a decrease in HIV transmission, it is those that will be responsible, but circumcision that gets the credit.] In another matter, the PS was not forthcoming with budget issues as he could not give out information on how much money had spent on the Male Circumcision campaign.... Ministry of health won’t say how many men were circumcised
| ||||||||||
|
TrustLaw Gambians told female circumcision is not religious obligation-paperBy George Fominyen DAKAR (TrustLaw) – A number of religious leaders in Gambia have called for a ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) which is widely seen as an obligation for Muslim women in the country, Gambia’s Daily Observer newspaper reports. Imams and traditional chiefs have joined women’s groups in calling for a law against FGM (also known as female circumcision), which they say puts women’s reproductive health at risk. The centuries-old practice involves removing part or all of a girl's clitoris and labia, and sometimes narrowing the vaginal opening. UNICEF estimates 3 million girls and women are cut each year in 28 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. The age at which the procedure is carried out varies from country to country. In many parts of West Africa including Gambia, FGM has been presented as a religious obligation for practising Muslim women, leading most to believe that if they are not circumcised they are unclean and their prayers will not be heard. Local chiefs in Gambia’s Central River Region said religion could no longer be used to justify FGM and they have given their public support to the campaign to stop the practice, the paper reported. “We the chiefs would not have participated in these activities if they are not in the interest of our people,” said Malick Mbye, a local chief who attended a series of information campaigns organised by the Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices affecting the health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP) in the north of the country. There is no specific law to protect girls from FGM in Gambia, but the government has said it will introduce one in line with the protocol on the rights of women in Africa which prohibits all forms of harmful practice against women. |
Is infant circumcision legal?
|
Helsingin Sanomat Circumcision assault case brings fine - conviction but no punishment for parentsLegal status of non-medical circumcisions remains murky.
Helsinki District Court imposed a fine on a man convicted of assault and battery on Friday for performing circumcisions on two Muslim boys. The parents of the boys were convicted of incitement to assault and battery, but no punishment was meted out. Finland does not have legislation on religiously mandated circumcisions. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, Finland has signed the Convention on Human rights and Biomedicine of the Council of Europe. The court sentenced the man who performed the circumcisions to 60 income-linked “day fines”, which in his case amounted to EUR 360. He and the parents were also ordered to pay EUR 3,000 in compensation to one of the two boys, and EUR 500 to the other.
[This suggests that no one in Finland may lawfully consent to a non-therapeutic circumcision of a child, and that organ or tissue removal - such as the foreskin - is unlawful. Given this, it is no longer clear that a non-therapeutic circumcision of a child may be carried out in Finland, even by a medical doctor.] |
Back to the Intactivism index page.