SHURUGWI – Uncircumcised men in the Midlands Province have reportedly warmed to a new non-surgical circumcision method, PrePex, which is said to be faster and less painful.
by Own Correspondent
PrePex consists of a set of a ring and rubber band that are placed around the male organ to kill the cells around the foreskin, until it eventually dries and falls off within a week.
More than 30 men of various age groups opted for the PrePex method during a recent voluntary HIV testing, counseling and medical circumcision programme at a mobile clinic at Chachacha Growth Point in Shurugwi, last week.
The programme was organised by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Population Service International and National Aids Council. Comedian Sabhuku Vharazipi managed to demystify some common misconceptions and myths around medical circumcision through his hilarious performances.
Programme coordinator Shingi Makaure said PrePex was developed to scale up male circumcision as part of a comprehensive global plan for HIV/Aids prevention.
“Chances of transmitting HIV to other partners will only be low if the (circumcised) partner is on treatment and only if their viral load is low,” he said.
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Makaure indicated that the PrePex had gained ground in areas where men were reluctant to go under the knife.
“Some benefits of the PrePex ring include being quicker than surgical circumcision (five minutes versus 30 minutes). The client can return to work/studies/normal life after the procedure, there is no recovery time at the hospital after the procedure and there are very low rates of complications,” Makaure said.
“Innovative measures are necessary to encourage voluntary medical male circumcision especially among older males.”
According to Ministry of Health and Child Care statistics, a total of 117 000 men have so far been circumcised at various medical institutions around the country, against a target of 266 580, clearly indicating that more and more men in Zimbabwe are embracing the exercise.
