29 Nov 2015

The African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP) chief executive officer, Mr Jerome Mafeni, has urged HIV free men to do everything in their power to stay uninfected.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Metsimotlhabe recently, Mr Mafeni cautioned that the free HIV treatment offered by government was expensive.

He was in the village for the Safe Male Circumcision (CMS) project. Mr Mafeni said it was close relatives’ responsibility to encourage and assist young persons to understand HIV/AIDS.

He said the voluntary medical male circumcision that ACHAP provided was not a cure, and did not offer 100 per cent protection against HIV contraction.

“If people do circumcise and still continue to get drunk and have unprotected sex, they will get infected,” he said.

He said circumcision works, adding that all countries which traditionally circumcised and were still circumcising have very low HIV prevalence. Mr Mafeni said countries mostly affected by HIV include Botswana as it does not normally circumcise.

“Even though circumcision does not provide 100 percent protection, it protects women. It is important for the community to support the youth to do the surgery,” he said.

He said that while the surgery is minor, it is performed on a major organ, which does not only provide for means for people to enjoy companionship, but also exists to perpetuate humanity.

He assured residents that the ACHAP circumcision is a safe medical procedure which also assures all of speedy attendance to complications.

He said the removal of the foreskin improves a man’s hygiene and protects women from sexually transmitted diseases and cervical cancer. He therefore urged women to encourage men to get circumcised.

For his part, councillor for Madisa Ward in Metsimotlhabe Mr Kenakgang Oreetseng said the practice was stopped in the past as it was not safely performed. He hailed the resumption of the exercise, saying that it is now conducted in a safe manner. Ends