15 Feb 2021

A total of 15 safe male circumcision surgeries were carried out in the Ramotswa/Otse Cluster from July to December last year, according to the District Health Management Team report. 

The figure is far below the 250 surgeries that the District Health Management Team in the Ramotswa/Otse Cluster could have carried out for the period. 

According to the District Health Management Team report, out of the 125 targeted surgeries for July to September, only 10 surgeries were done, while only five were performed between October and December. 

The poor performance of the safe male circumcision is further noted among the infants born in the area. 

 From the period of July to December, not even a single infant was circumcised in the cluster, which covers Ramotswa, Otse, Taung and Mogobane villages. 

 However, the report highlighted that the problem was compounded by the shortage of some device, which is used for the operation. 

Notwithstanding such, early infants’ safe male circumcision has always been a challenge within the cluster, with most parents turning down the opportunity, saying they had to consult their partners. 

According to the report, the unsatisfactory numbers of safe male circumcision in the area implicates the risks of HIV transmission and other sexually transmitted infections. 

According to the World Health Organization, medical male circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male sexual transmission of HIV by approximately 60 per cent. 

Since 2007, WHO and UNAIDS have recommended voluntary medical male circumcision as an additional important strategy for HIV prevention. 

The WHO states that the safe male circumcision, which is a one-time intervention, provides men with life-long partial protection against HIV as well as other sexually transmitted infections. 

However, it warns that circumcision should always be considered as part of a comprehensive HIV prevention package of services and be used in conjunction with other methods of prevention such as female and male condoms. ends