Keetmans conducts circumcisions

PAULUS SHIKU



FORTY-FOUR males aged from six to 52 years were circumcised during a week-long circumcision campaign at the Keetmanshoop State Hospital in June.

Statistics obtained from the Principal Medical Officer at Keetmanshoop hospital Mehluli Ndlovu indicate that the figure (44) is lower compared to 90 males operated on during the first two-week campaign in 2012.

“All patients were operated on successfully with no adverse effects. Circumcision, which involves the cutting off of the male foreskin on the penis, reduces HIV transmission from a woman to a man by 60 percent, but it must be emphasised that it is not a substitute for condom use.

There has been a poor uptake by the Keetmanshoop community for various reasons, including cultural and traditional [reasons], ignorance and fear,” Ndlovu told Nampa.

He added that the Ministry of Health and Social Services is encouraging eligible men to undergo safe medical circumcision as part of its long-term strategy to prevent new HIV infections, and ultimately create an HIV-free generation.

“The week-long campaign was only meant to boost the programme but all men are still welcome to come to the hospital anytime to book an operation appointment date. They will also be offered counselling and given age-appropriate health information on male sexual and reproductive health issues,” said the PMO.

Circumcisions are carried out by qualified health practitioners in order to ensure a clean and risk-free operation and healing process, but is also done by traditional doctors for purposes of cleanliness, as graduation from boyhood to manhood, and as an identification mark for some tribes.

The practice is common among males in Namibia, Angola, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, among others.

In Namibia, traditional circumcision is practiced by among others the OvaHerero, OvaNdongona, OvaHimba, and some Angolan tribes such as the OvaMwila, OvaZemba, OvaNkumbi, OvaTjimba of whom some emigrated to Namibia.

A middle-aged OvaZemba/Ndongona man who was circumcised the traditional way, explained that during the healing process, males are not allowed to be seen by anybody and kept at an isolated place until their wounds heal completely.

“If by any chance a person wanders into that isolated place, he or she can be killed because during that process circumcised men have total immunity from arrest and prosecution by the traditional court,” said the source who asked for his name not to mentioned.

They are also free to kill cows, goats and other animals for food without the owners’ consent.

In his tribe it is regarded as a taboo for a man to have a foreskin, as he will be humiliated and neglected, and people will disassociate themselves from him and call him ‘bad’ names.

Some females from his tribe refuse to date or sleep uncircumcised men entirely. – Nampa