19 Jun 2013

The low male turnout for Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) services in the country is still worrisome.

Briefing members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi during a workshop on June 18, the coordinator Mr Conrad Ntsuape said men are not reaching out to the male circumcision centres in large numbers as expected.

This, he said was distressing as studies have indicated that uncircumcised men run a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including  Human Immune Virus (HIV).

If men could fully come forward to circumcise, Mr Ntsuape said the Ministry of Health would reach the 100 000 target by 2016.

He said the sector also intends to reach prevalence rate of circumcision among men, which at the moment stands at 11.2 per cent to 80 per cent by 2016.

Mr Ntsuape said it has come to the fore that most men who do not circumcise have forwarded reasons that they are scared of pain they endure during the process.

"He said some other men have advanced reasons that they cannot afford to stay for six weeks without sexual activity to allow for the healing process after the circumcision.

The long hours of wait as well as the busy schedules of men, he said have been highlighted as other reasons that men do not come in large numbers to circumcise.

However Mr Ntsuape said in an effort to reach out to men who have not gone through circumcision, the Ministry of Health is working collaboratively with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development to get to the school going children an educating them about the need and advantages of safe male circumcision.

He highlighted that the Ministry of Health has purchased mobile trucks which are intended to assist in accessing hard to reach destinations in remote areas.

The introduction of the Prepex circumcising tool that has less pain and takes a shorter period to administer is currently on study and once it shows positive results, it will be fully utilized in all the SMC sites across the country, he said.

Mr Ntsuape therefore called on Dikgosi to work together with the ministry to reach out to the communities they lead to encourage them to fully utilize the circumcision services.

Kgosi  Maruje Masunga of North East region advised that it was necessary to follow up those men who have heeded the call to circumcise to check the effectiveness of circumcision in the reduction of the spread of HIV.

Kgosi Kgomotso Boiditswe of Serowe region also advised the SMC administrators to get to various clubs around the country which are male oriented in order to reach out to the men and educate them about the importance of circumcision. ENDS