The Health Benefits of Male Circumcision

Male circumcision is a phenomenon that has been around since Biblical times. Performed either as a traditional rite of passage, for religious reasons or as a matter of heath, different people from different parts of the world do it for different reasons.

Recently public awareness campaigns about the health benefits of medical male circumcision have encouraged more boys and men to get circumcised.

unpacks the motives, health benefits and risks involved in this procedure…

Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin, which is opened and separated from the glans after inspection. It can be done in a theatre, in a doctor’s consulting room or even at the village or at home.

In Namibia there are certain tribes that perform circumcision for cultural purposes, but lately there have been health awareness campaigns about the procedure and more Namibian boys and men are opting for medical circumcisions.

spoke to Dr Justin Nyatondo and Sister Ruth Matomola from Medical Clinic in Windhoek to find out about how the procedure is done, as well as some of the health benefits that come with circumcision.

“Circumcision is one of world’s most widely-performed procedures. Certain tribes like the Ovaherero and the Ovahimba in Namibia used to do it as a cultural ritual but more boys and men from other tribes do it for health reasons nowadays,” said Dr Nyatondo.

Dr Nyatondo explained that medical male circumcision is done by trained medical professionals in a safe environment and it can be done any time of the year.

He stressed that at hospitals, male circumcision is done in a controlled setting thus the procedure can be done any time of the year, not just in winter as is commonly believed.

He further explained that it takes about six weeks for the wound to heal. As part of the public health programme, health professionals advocate for the use of local anesthesia.

“Local anesthesia is only applied to the penis making it possible for the patient to go home immediately after the procedure is done,” said Dr Nyatondo.

He said at private hospital doctors adhere to what the Ministry of Health and Social Services recommends in their Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) policy and guidelines.

Sister Matomola told The Weekender that some of the perks that come with medical circumcision include the reduction of the chances of contracting HIV by at least 60%.

She said that HIV prevention is the main reason circumcision is done medically. She added that other health benefits include better personal hygiene and for younger boys it can help prevent urinary tract infections.

“There are quite a number of benefits associated with medical male circumcision which also reduces the risks of penile cancer in men,” she added. Other benefits also entail reducing the chances of your sexual partner getting cervical cancer.

“But I must point out that even though male circumcision has all these benefits, men must still use protection and be faithful to one sexual partner, because there are still chances of you getting cancer and there is still 40% chance of contracting HIV,” she warned.

Just like any procedure, there are also risks involved in medical male circumcision. Sister Matomola shared that some of the risks are injuries to the penis if an untrained person performs it as well as bleeding and prolonged healing.

“Male circumcision is better done medically than the traditional way. This is because at the hospital we try to control and prevent all possible complications, and in most cases the risks are a result of the patient not adhering to what they are told by medical staff during the recovering period,” said Sister Matomola.

also spoke to musician The Dogg who is the ambassador of the VMMC awareness campaign in Namibia. The Dogg revealed that ever since the campaign commenced, over 30 000 boys and men have been circumcised.

“More boys and men are now starting to realise the benefits related to male circumcision and are starting to do it more for health reasons than cultural reasons,” said The Dogg.

He encourages more boys and men to make the decision to get circumcised because the procedure comes with a lot of health benefits.

“Being circumcised also benefits your sexual partner. It reduces your partner’s chances of getting cervical cancer,” explained The Dogg.

Asked about the reasons some Namibian boys and men are not keen to get circumcised, The Dogg said that during the campaigns he has had the chance to interact with different men and the reasons vary from one person to another. The most common reasons are that a lot of men are not aware of the health benefits and some are just scared of the pain.

Addressing the debate that has been sparked by the awareness campaigns, Dr Nyatondo admitted that he is aware of some men that are not keen to get circumcised. One of the reasons being that some men believe that removing the foreskin reduces sexual pleasure by making their manhood less sensitive.

He advised that men should make sure that the health professionals provide them with all the necessary information before taking the decision.

Damian Linyando (28), who was recently circumcised, said that boys and men should not use pain as an excuse for not getting circumcised. “When I was cut, I did not experience severe pain. The process is done at the hospital with experienced medical professionals. You are given medication to help ease the pain and you are told what to do and how to avoid pain,” Linyando said.

He admitted that the VMMC campaign played a significance role in making the decision to get circumcised.

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