In Zambia, an experiment in the battle with HIV/Aids is producing staggering results. If this were a vaccine trial, the medical world would be hailing it as a miracle. But instead of a wonder drug, the secret weapon is circumcision. Jeremy Laurance reports
After weeks of waiting, Michael Phiri decided to take matters into his own hands. The 16-year-old from George Compound, a township outside Lusaka, was so anxious to be rid of his foreskin, and so frustrated after being turned away from the circumcision clinic at local hospital for the third time, that he took a bread knife and did the job himself. The resulting bloody mess had one positive outcome; it sent him straight to the top of the queue for surgery, and he got his operation performed, as an emergency, by the urology specialist Kasonde Bowa.
“He had made a good start, with a dorsal cut as far as the rim of the glans, but things had got difficult from there,” a smiling Dr Bowa says, with admirable understatement.
As Zambia’s leading expert on circumcision, Bowa tells this story (the patient’s name has been changed) to illustrate the soaring demand for the procedure that is sweeping Lusaka and other towns across sub-Saharan Africa, as word spreads of its remarkable preventive power. After 25 years of research and the expenditure of billions of pounds, it turns out that the oldest surgical operation in the world, performed since antiquity, is the best defence we have against HIV/Aids.
In crisp shirt and tie, despite the sweltering heat, Bowa tells me of the benefits of circumcision. We’re standing outside his cluttered office at the University Hospital, where the exotic flamboyant trees that pepper this sprawling city shed their vermilion blooms on to the patients waiting in the shade below.
Bowa started Zambia’s first pilot project offering circumcision as a defence against HIV in 2004. It was soon overwhelmed. “We were operating three afternoons a week but had such high demand that we were unable to cope. We needed more space and more staff.”
The simple act of removing a man’s foreskin reduces his risk of contracting HIV by about 60 per cent. The reason is that the moist underside of the foreskin is thickly supplied with Langerhans cells, a key route for entry of the virus into the body. Langerhans cells are also present in the glans (head) of the penis, but after circumcision the skin of the glans becomes drier and thicker, denying the virus an easy point of entry.
The medical evidence, from a series of studies, of the protective effect of circumcision has been growing for two decades, but it is only since publication of three randomised trials in Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa in late 2006 that the global health community started to act. The trials were stopped early and all 10,000 men involved offered circumcision when initial findings showed that the protective effect was so great that it would have been unethical to continue.
In March 2007, the World Health Organisation and UNAids gave their official backing to circumcision and called on countries to offer it to all heterosexual men. Kevin de Cock, head of the WHO’s Aids department, described it as “an extraordinary development”, adding: “Circumcision is the most potent intervention in HIV prevention that has been described.”
Circumcision, if rolled out across the continent, offers the first real prospect of saving lives by preventing infection on a significant scale. Estimates suggest that if universal circumcision were introduced across sub-Saharan Africa, it could prevent 300,000 deaths in the next 10 years and three million deaths over the next 20 years. It is sometimes described as a “surgical vaccine” – with good reason.
Zambia has been among the first to offer the operation and pilot new services, and other countries are following its lead. Yet, globally, only 1 per cent of total Aids funding is earmarked for male circumcision. Progress towards delivering the single most effective preventive measure yet discovered against the pandemic is agonisingly slow.
Across the road from Bowa’s office, what is believed to be the world’s first dedicated circumcision clinic outside a hospital or research programme is doing brisk business. Launched last year by the international charity the Society for Family Health, following Bowa’s lead, the New Start centre is sited in an anonymous, dusty building behind the YWCA. Its appearance gives no hint of the pioneering work carried out within. This is deliberate; the charity fears that the service would be besieged if it were more widely advertised.
As I watch, John Banda, a shopkeeper, aged 29, climbs on to the table in one of the three operating rooms, clutching his green surgical gown and grimacing at the ceiling as Aggie Mahule, one of half a dozen nurses and clinical officers given two weeks’ training to carry out the procedure, injects local anaesthetic into the base of his penis. “Relax and feel at home,” says Aggie kindly as she swabs the surgical area with disinfecting iodine. John, fearful of the pain and, possibly, for his manhood, makes no response.
Next door in the “recovery” room, Richard Chimuka, 31, a computer trainee wearing a black designer shirt and low-slung jeans, sits with his legs apart, looking relaxed and pleased that, for him, the operation is over. The surgery was over in 12 minutes – and no, it wasn’t painful, he says. Does it bother him that the operation was performed by two women? “Actually, I felt excited about it – like putting my painting in a gallery,” came the smooth reply.
It’s not difficult to persuade Zambians of the virtues of circumcision. It is already practised traditionally by the Luvale and certain other tribes in the North-Western Province, where the HIV rate is half that in the rest of the country (6.9 per cent of the population in the region is infected, compared with 14.3 per cent for the country as a whole). In Lusaka, one in five of the adult population is infected (20.8 per cent), one of the highest rates in the world. Surveys have shown wide acceptance of the procedure and increasing interest among parents wanting the operation for their children.
More than 1,500 men have had the operation since the New Start clinic opened in August 2007, and more have been circumcised by mobile surgical teams that visit hospitals in Kafue and Kabulonga, an hour’s drive from the city. This is good for them, but in the context of the country’s epidemic – 100,000 new infections a year – it is like using a water pistol against a forest fire.
“It is the most important defence against the disease that we have,” says Mannasseh Phiri, a GP and Zambia’s best-known Aids activist. “The trials have shown that it really does work, it is relatively easy to do and it is a lot cheaper than putting people on drug treatment.”
Jeffrey Stringer, director of the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Lusaka, which is piloting a neo-natal circumcision service, tells me: “If we had a vaccine as effective as this, we would be jumping up and down in the streets. A 60 per cent protective effect is fantastic. It is one of the most effective preventive strategies we have.” Yet, as Steve Gesuale, head of the circumcision project at the Society for Family Health, points out, there is “very little funding from donors, very little government support and very little going on”.
Why? Official backing from WHO and UNAids has not been enough to persuade governments and donors to put their money and resources behind circumcision – yet. Richard Harrison, the director of the Society of Family Health, says the reason is fear. “There is always a sense of jeopardy around big decisions, especially when they involve sex. You only have to remember the row over condoms 20 years ago. By endorsing circumcision publicly, the Zambian government would be exposing itself to criticism, especially from religious groups who are incredibly powerful. The government is not going to shout its support from the podium – it prefers to give it tacitly.”
There is also the difficulty that an HIV/Aids prevention strategy is all about the future, because it takes at least a decade for the benefits to be felt, while treatment is about the here and now. “It is very difficult to get people to concentrate on something that is 10 years away,” he says.
In Zambia, despite the lack of public support, the message about the benefits of the operation is reaching all levels of society. In Garden Compound, the densely crowded township close to the centre of Lusaka, the tiny Viro Clinic – “We prolong and save” reads the legend above the door – displays a poster in the window advertising male circumcision. Outside, the faded red and blue plasterwork is crumbling. Inside, the three cramped rooms contain a pot plant reaching almost to the roof, an examination couch doubling as the operating table, and a small fridge. Beside it, on a table, a teddy bear is propped against a broken clock, along with red plastic roses.
Violet, the smiling receptionist, says demand for circumcisions has increased. “There are more in the winter [June and July] and in the evenings and early mornings when it is cooler. The wound heals better,” she says.
Interest in circumcision has spread beyond the capital, to the country’s vast hinterland, according to Karen Sichinga, chief executive of the powerful Churches Health Association of Zambia, which runs one-third of all Zambia’s hospitals, mainly in rural areas. “The demand is increasing in our mission health facilities,” she says.
For Sichinga, the operation does not carry the moral dilemmas involved in handing out condoms or preaching abstinence, an important factor for a faith-based charity. But she, like some others, is cautious of treating it as the silver bullet, the “answer” to Aids that has been so desperately sought for so long.
“Science has proved that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages,” she said. “But you have to work hard to persuade people. Over 90 per cent of Zambia is Christian, not Islamic.”
Critics fear that circumcision will encourage men to think they are immune and to ignore safe-sex advice, so increasing risks. Evidence from the trials in Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa showed no change in sexual behaviour following circumcision – and at the Society for Family Health’s New Start clinic in Lusaka, men are repeatedly warned each time they return for a check-up that they are not completely protected and need to continue practising safe sex.
There are also fears that men will not wait for the wound to heal – six weeks is the recommended period of total abstinence, from intercourse and masturbation. Sex during this period could be dangerous as the wound is an the ideal pathway for HIV transmission. Men are warned of the dangers and there is no sign they are returning to sex too early.
A third objection is that the operation benefits men but not women. This has angered groups concerned about equal rights. But a reduction of HIV prevalence among men will indirectly benefit women. Estimates suggest that male circumcision has the potential to save more women’s lives than any other preventive measure.
At the Society for Family Health’s clinic, men are offered an HIV test before the operation, and more than 80 per cent accept the offer. Calls for the test to be made mandatory have been rejected because of concern that it could deter people from seeking the surgery.
Some experts warn that circumcision must only be offered with counselling and HIV testing. Others say quantity is what counts and services should be established on a factory model.
The INDEPENDENT
#1
Whilst i appreciate circumcission as a major deterent against infection, most men think once they are circumcised they are supermen. And that they can not get infected. A lot more awareness is required. Let us not give false hope in the abcence of awareness
This man might have smoked weed.
Its not entirely true but it does lessed the chances of contracting the virus.
This coupled with preventive measures would surely reduce infections.
What a long article.
1-4 are you circumcised
Circumcised men are not immune to HIV infection.Their chances of infection are reduced. Mind you, bruises on the glans during sex even by the circumscised fellow, are entry points of HIV. Careful guys, with ‘ndeke hotel’ prostitutes.
#4. Let me satisfy your curiosity. AM NOT. That is besides the point. I use protection, HELLO>
viva circumcision
It was actually no#6,Mia
no8….even your protection is not 100% reliable. Let’s be straight here.
Ayidima ejima ayikunakwala kumukala wetu Ku Mwinilunga..
Ba Moze you have to go under the knife immediately. iam a Doctor at one of the private clinics i can help you out. Its not too painful but no peeing for a week or so.
circumsized men are cleaner and better.viva circumsion.
Yes #II. At least am honest about it, and its 90 percent effective. Better than getting circumcised for the wrong reasons onl;y to go and employ “KambaFwile” tactics (unprotected Sex). I appreciate your concern
Is “Aggie Mahule” a real name, poor woman…
#12 Mudinayi
Mia, i am safe. dont worry about me. Worry for yourself. As for ba suzie #I4..Ya, the moment you said “MEN” you gave yourself and your character away.
Viva Circumcision or be prepared to 10 times higher for my…… I got u broke asss-
#11 you are right, I had a condom burst the other day and also I have had a condom come off. They are not 50% reliable. It is risky business putting trust in a condom. Abstainance eli che. Am happy I had a lucky escape. I will never go there again
I second Mia and suzie!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ba Moze consider the advice..
#II, you condom burst simply because you did not apply the second “C” attached to condom use; CORRECT USE. You were probably in a hurry to get things done, your condom had pockets of air. And yes my friend, it will burst. So i support your move to abstain. wait until you are mature enough to have sex. Ba #2I, I will think about it.
Oh, its #20
Ba Moze, I will leave that C about condoms to you. I could have died man. And I had to wait for like 3 months to just make sure that I did not catch the virus. And that 3 months waiting window was, asking anybody who has gone through that ..it is not funny my brother. This sex we chase all over the place is just not worth it when you have the prospect of death staring in your face. I don’t want to go through that experience ever again. Am happy to be negative
I am not circumcised.
#24. No disrespect meant my brother. You are lucky you had that escape. Some are not that fortunate. Me, i only have one, and even with her it is “consistent and correct condom use”. This for me, is not NEGOTIABLE.All the best 24.
Circumcision is not good because it reduces sexual sensation in men. The glans keratinize (harden) as a result. Although its an advantage to women because men dont ejaculate early its a torture to men because your feelings would have reduced drastically. You are suppopsed to enjoy sex as a man not just satisfying your partner. Viva foreskin!!!!!
next you will be chopping of womens clitoris……… Rubbish
*slicing off womens labia*
#27 uoneka kuti ndiwe mukulu wanchito. Viva foreskin? with protection baba. Tumasala tumaforeskin
People thought that boys would not keep themselves clean if they werent circumcised,”
a mother answered when her intact son asked why circumcisions were done.
Her little 5 year old said, “Well, thats dumb mom!!
What are they gonna do? Cut their butts off too?!”
Out of the mouths of babes! Viva circumsion though
Hiv virus enters man or woman on orgasm.So dont be cheated with circumcision.
uliwabufi sana Suzie iwe.
Hmmmm! kindest-what language is this? the man on the operation table is courageous,two women handling his fimo fimo,my foot i will not go fo such operations,the nurse the way she is looking nakana olo ngati kazayaka ni so che,hahahahahah!
I now I can srew around ya live
#3,which man, yu made laugh, must have smoked weed?
Ba #21 iri mwafwa imwe lucky escape kwisa lelo
What about female circumcition. In ciuntries where female circumcision is practiced there is a very low level of promiscuity. This is what leads to HIV nad AIDS. I am told women who have had their labia and clitoris removed are normaly sexualy stable.
Let us begin advocating for this also alongside male circumcition.
#38 Golyati you are a raving misogynist, shame on you
You cannot fight demons with a knife. With or without circumcision the word of God remains “the wages of sin is death” The HIV/AIDS problem has a spiritul aspect and can not be totally fought in the fresh. So circumcision as a human tool can never solve the problem of immorality hence HIV/AIDS.
Maggie mahule must just hate it when its her day off. Seeing those things every day? Must be very motivating for her. always looking foward to I7 hours
Thats the problem when you are thinking faster than your fingers #40. Its FLESH not FRESH.
circumssion is only for tongas are tonga guys like women alot.
#14,you are a risk already tho yu slept with “circumcised men”,only one man one woman.by implication yu tried both circumc and those not,kaya.donnot mislead pipo,cirmc shud not be seen as a substitute fo condom use or abstenance,can still get ka viridae.also donnot be in the habit of 69,equally bad.
#44 what’s wrong with the habit of 69?
#40,you cannot fight demons with knivers,Hmmm! says who?
#43,i thot circumc is mainly practiced in western and N/western?
#39 Sony Ericcsson Phiri
The problem with you people you dont like the truth, you are just good at guilding the lily
I like the truth fine – if you think female circumcision is a good thing I feel very sorry for you
#45,ka hiv virus can also gain access to yo circulation via oral mucosa(mouth lining).
thanx #45 but I think it’s still safer than intercourse… anyway it’s banned in Z (unnatural act)
WHILE I DO APPRECIATE CIRCUMCISION, I AM NOT CIRCUMCISED AND WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN SO BECAUSE I CANT IMAGINE MY SELF WITH A D1CK WITHOUT A FORESKIN HANGING AROUND IN THE QUEST NOT TO CONTRACT AIDS. BA LT THIS ARTICLE IS TOO LONG SOME OF US WE ARE SO BUSY THAT WE ONLY READ FIRST AND LAST PARAGRAPH. WE NEED GOOD REPORTERS WHO CAN UNDERSTAND THE 5 Ws WHEN WRITING THE NEWS ARTICLES.
yaba kukonda vokamba kamba pali mankhani ya usiku,taluza bola zed 0,S/A 2.nakalipa nayenda nakadye ka late dinner,yeah pa china ni after 2300hrs ayi!!
EFYO MWAFWA IFYO FINE. NEBO IAM NOT CIRCUMSISED AND I ONLY HAVE 1 WOMAN.SO IFYA MA CIRCUMCISION IS YOURS. IT SERVES NO PURPOSE
I AM PROUDLY UNCIRCUMCISED AND I AM CLEAN AS I TAKE CARE OF MY SELF, I DONT SLEEP AROUND BECAUSE I KNOW THERE IS AIDS.
l prefer staying in the hood!
better cicumsised man
my sister pearl what do you know about circumcised men? unless you want it for other purposes
ouch!
What about women circumcision? anyone with reliable data? Can it help us reduce the incidence of aquiring HIV by cuting off part of our sweet VAG or ambrosial Clit?
#60
Guys when you are circumcised dnt think you are safe . Am Lunda and as you know i am together with my two boys but guys to be honest i lost an Uncle who was also Knifed, my advice is play it safe. That man ( black) with the white man is lunda so that makes us the best cutters.
That lady is crazy why is she cutting the tip of the foreskin,That Mahule Nurse or Doctor
VITENDENI
God knew what he was doing when he instituted circumcision for all the jews-it wasnt just a symbol of his covenant with him -but it was also for health reason.That is why cervical cancer is almost unheard of in Israel.As a way of preventing hiv I agree-but I am on the same page as Nkandu Lou.We need to address the issue of alchohol-becoz thats what leads people into careless sex
God knew what he was doing when he instituted circumcision for all the jews-it wasnt just a symbol of his covenant with him -but it was also for health reason.That is why cervical cancer is almost unheard of in Israel.As a way of preventing hiv I agree-but I am on the same page as Nkandu Lou.We need to address the issue of alchohol-becoz thats what leads people into careless sex after judgement has been impaired by alchohol
Aggie Who? I hope that name is a coincident.
#65 i have rated you, just check your last comment
BTW are you people aware that Adultery is panishable offence in South Korea wonder small they have less of such diseases
#68 Isn’t it punishable in Zambia?
hai shi master lovely name always amuses me !circumsision is a presonal decision u cant reverse once done u may lose libido ka !
#69 i meant panishable by imprisonment
Oh NO! Who is talking about Xfactor?
I was heart broken after watching Xfactor. I waited all day to watch Britney but………………………………………………….
I can’t even say it.
try the knife you will never regret it. however, remind my sis to provide enough ziggy lest during the same due to the prolonged period of mounting.
Ouchi an omission…..try the knife you will never regret it. however, remind my sis to provide enough ziggy lest you collapse during the same due to the prolonged period of mounting
No67 I dont get it -whats it with the last sentence
Power to the mushroom.
Obama has appointed Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State. This is a great political move that Obama is making. As the old saying goes, keep your friends close but keep your enemies even closer. In this case, he is keeping her as close as possible.
Cut or uncut,the answer lies in us changing our behavoiur.Being cut is not an end in itself but is one of the means to an end.Having said that, all means to the end seem to have been tried (condom use,advocacy etc0but this particular option appears to have been a major success hence the growing calls for men to go under the knife.
Womanizer! Womanizer! Womanizer! Oh I gut you Crazy Babe.
Maybe watching Britney Spears on Sky 1 will will soften my broken heart. Britney could not sing nor dance on Saturday nite XFactor.
What a big disappointment!
Hoa many blacks has Obama appointed? Mwangala are you in North gate? Any way
Twambe ukusembulula inkanda ba vikara. In this way we can help defeat HIV/AIDS
Wow!circumucision,anyway I will keep quiet about it since am not.but I will definately go through the process.of course not for prevention,coz as far as Iam concerned the best prevention/protection is abstainance.
I cant give up my skin after being with it for over 2decades. This msg is for the next generation, or those who know they are sex-maniacs
Ulichipuba saana, takwaba ati tonga’s loves grls…sex ni sex uli mutundu inshi iwe wine? As for the others opposing, this is just kind advice mwisamwa saana, some of you tomorrow will start asking where you can have yourselves circumcised. Bola ni panshi
I got circumsised by a chinese doctor 2 months b4 i arrived in the UK. It is one of the best decisions ive ever made in my life!
CIRCUMSISED OR NOT .BAICHE BANDI MWILAYANGASHA UBWAMBA NGE MFUTI.AIDS CHIPONDO ILEEPAYA.ABSTAIN IF YOU CAN DO SO .USE A CONDOM WISELY AND SAFELY IF YOU CAN NOT ABSTAIN.BUT THE BEST IS TO BE FAITHFUL TO YOUR WONDERFUL PARTINER.WE HAVE DIED ENOUGH.LET US CONQUER AIDS.
All this hype over circumcision might actually lead to even more infections. Too many [ignorant (?)] chaps take this as a passport to stick it anywhere. There is no single solution to this pandemic. Condomizing when not circumcised is more effective that live wire when circumcised. What we need more than anything else is education, education and education. Educate people on the importance of one man-one woman and the regard for other people’s lives. Those that get infected should take the disease to their graves instead of willingly infecting others. That should be a severe offence.
Hey #27 (Admiral), just get circumcised. You will love it!
#51.Shi Master. LT Just copied this article from the other sources ‘The Independent’ newspaper. I read it a long time ago.
First all, the talk about all this is crap! They introduce the virus into the population and now that the inviroment is condusive enough for their long anticipated business plans, they come and tell you what to do to your body, of course at a price. The so collled investors come in all forms so be careful Zedians!
Oh! and I forgot to mention. Once they are done with this, They’ll come back with ‘Foreskin Restoration’ or Uncircumcision: A Historical Review of Preputial Restoration. Another business to milk the masses.
Why?.b’cause foreskin restoration returns the penis to a near-normal appearance. The circumcision scar gradually becomes hidden under the fold of the new foreskin. Cosmesis is dramatically improved. It is difficult to distinguish a restored foreskin from a natural foreskin by its appearance.
Foreskin restoration extends the shaft skin to recover the glans penis, to restore skin mobility, and to provide protection for the glans penis. Men who restore report greater comfort when
Continued….
when wearing clothing, because the delicate mucosa of the glans penis is covered and protected from contact with clothing.
Men who restore report psychological and emotional benefits. One feels that one is back in….
….control over one’s body. Men who restore start to feel “whole” or “complete” and enjoy improved self-esteem as the restoration progresses. Feelings of anger, rage, and resentment may be reduced.
So fellow Zedians, Don’t just beleive the hype.
better performed at an early age
Circumcision – as usual, the real mumbo jumbo comes from AID$ Inc. These are the people who in a quarter of a century did not find a vaccine, did not find a cure, and did not accurately predict the effect of ‘the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic’ on ANY population in the world. (They thought the population of South Africa would stagnate at 43.9 million people in 2004, and of course it happily grew to 48.5 million last year.)
But they know circumcision prevents infection. Of course it does. 🙁
I disagree with you Luapula Fish. This has to be done to on a consenting adult. I can foresee a lot of legal charges being brought up in the near future.
gentlemen go for the knife more especially those with serious long foreskins.
Why were we not born already circumcised? This is the question I always ask. It is God’s design to have the foreskin. I fear circumcision because I feel it is a sin and also I’m in my late thirties and I have performed well sexually so far. What do you say fellow bloggers? I submit!!!!!
#98 i agree with. the foreskin is there for a reason.this is male genital mutilation. abash
Foreskin or not AIDS still kills look at Nigeria for instance with 1,200,000 pipo living with HIV when all men are circumized at birth
Circumcision has been a “cure” looking for a disease for a very long time. In the UK, then the US, they starting doing it non-religiously to prevent masturbation, which they serious thought caused all kinds of diseases. (It didn’t work, but it sure scared the boys out of getting caught, so they thought it did.) When they got over that, they said circumcision prevented sexually transmitted diseases (it doesn’t). Then came cancer and urinary tract infections (it doesn’t). It would be surprising if they didn’t make the claim about HIV/AIDS. Some people just like the idea of cutting off foreskins – especially if they’ve had their own cut off.
he is crazy,he surely must have smoked weed.
What age can one get circumcised.Need to know
circumcision is one’s decision depending on how much you’ve reseached and known. the fact is, with or no foreskin one can catch the STIs. The best way of prevention is to be faithfull to your partner and abstain if you can.
I totally agree withh the Medical practitioners. Thats why we don’t have HIV/AIDS in the North-western province especially in the following districts where circumcision is practiced; Mwinilunga, Kabombo, Zambezi & Chavuma.
I am therefore encouraging all Zambians to take this seriously and let there stinking stuff get cut off. But be care full its really painful, but sweet when it comes to bed work.
Ladies can bearer me witness on that one.
VIVA CIRCUMCISSION. I
Matenda has no age as at of today……circum or foreskin bamambala you will die pofye, thou its nice to unzip nokutelemuna ama french twenu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!…..kamona malwa. Basopoooo…Danger!
BEHAVIOR CHANGE IS THE ONLY WEAPON AGAINS HIV AIDS
Wow the the knife thing really scares me off. If my woman is satisfied then am alright
Its all about Mental application when it comes to satisfying your woman and not circumcision.
Are the Luvale still using Minora?
Circumcision ku munzi not here on the blog. Muzafa bane if you believe so much in circumcision, just use it or abstain from sex until the right time, or the best way is ponyoponyo guys
#98 You are damn right! God must have had a good purpose to create the fore skin just as he had a good one for creating all the other body parts. In fact circumcision has the unfair advantage where it only benefits the male if there is such benefits. I am circumcised and I have never enjoyed sex the way I used to before the sordid operation. if I had a way I was going to reverse the operation!
The key to AIDs is just being faithful to each other and not circumcision
i oredy had mine…
#111, Where there is a will there is always a way. I understand the foreskin can be restored. A lot of men in North America are currently undergoing ‘Uncircumcision’
num 98 and 110… The same God who created the foreskin, commanded that it should be removed after a certain age. Obviously it served its purpose in infants (maybe to protect the baby’s penis which is soft at birth), but shortly after serving its purpose, it became irrelevant and harboured dirty and germs, making a person unclean. It had to be removed as God only wanted clean people to approach him.
Circumsion combined with condoms is the best protection we have so far against HIV/AIDS. Let those whith ears listen…dont say we didnt tell you! We shall fight and conquer AIDS!
#27 Admiral
I agree with you that circumcision is not good because it reduces sexual sensation in men. The glans keratinize becomes as hard as leather.It however is an advantage to women because men dont ejaculate early but a torture to men because their feelings would have reduced drastically. Men too are suppopsed to enjoy sex not just satisfying their partner.
And results of recent research reveal a fear that HIV positive circumcised men do effect many more women due to their belief that due to circumcision, they are immune to AIDS.
Viva foreskin!!!!!
#115, Wenye wako!
THE ONLY SPECIAL WAY TO PREVENT AIDS IS TO ABTAIN AND TO BE FAITHFUL TO ONLY ONE PARTNER
118, nizako izo…
#109 WHAT IS MINORA?
one thing people shud understand is that being circumcised doesnt make one immune to the virus! rather, it reduces chances of infection drastically. you can still get infected. Hence the combination of condoms and circumcision is the best ‘immunization’ so far. Its like contraceptives. No contraceptive is 100% safe, but a combination of any other contraceptive and condoms is the best. Forget about being ‘FAITHFUL’..thats what is killing so many people. So many people are dying in the name of being faithful. Suppose am faithful and my partner is not!? And absteinance cant just work, get real and face the facts.
#109 Minora is just a brand name for a razor blade! Just like Toyota brand name for motor vehicle.
Naga kujuba ITEM yonse….HIV izasila
The foreskin protects the glans so as to maintain the sensitivity but when circumcised, the glans becomes too rough for the tender tissues of the female private parts and this creates bruising during sex intercourse. These bruises makes the female prone to infections. There is a germicide that is secreted in the foreskin to kill germs and bacteria so there is really nothing wrong with the foreskin. I envy those not yet circumcised.
#125. Bauze ba nvesese
Admiral and Suzie you are crazy guys.
Muzapaya Bantu imwe nakani yama Circumcision. Honestly, some people are so GULLIBLE to an extent that they might start PHILANDERING carelessly thinking circumcision is the CURE for HIV/AIDS. Just let them abstain or condomise.
#114 please tell me more about “uncircumcision”. I want to restore my foreskin.
FORGET CIRCUMCISION! JUST STICK TO ONE SEXUAL PARTNER WHO SHOULD STICK ONLY TO YOU.
#130 You are right forget about circumsion. God made you with a fore skin for a reason. If you take it off you suffer the consequences of reduced sexual pleasure. Remember that for everything you do there are consequences.
Just like women who bleach themselves end up with skin that is damaged such that when they have an open wound it will take months to heal
the foreskin has a role to plan for it to be there! soon it will be scrotums to be choped off, imean they have to may fords arent they a problem too?
Viva Foreskin
Join me in the VF Campaign …..VFC!
#125 i cant agree with you more. circumcision makes men take much longer to get orgasm that means thier contact with the partner is incresed and that is increased risk too plus te bruises as a result of glance hardening.
ni pabwato fyeeeeeeee i know am off topic but cant resist to talk about it
Viva ponyoponyo, viva forskin. abash circumcision abash sex before marriage
Know what…i’ll stick to jerking off!!
the act has more benefits
Woa, I have really mised out on a lot of things…I have been in and out of the system….
Is this how slow things have become around here?
ba Spectator you have missed nothing bra…
i agree with #138, to my fellow singles, ponyoponyo is the to way go. it’s healthy and 100% safe. am sure people who are circumcised are after akanyo.
For real mudala, how are though?!
This AIDS should be blamed on donor countries who still keep on bringing aid to third world countries. Have you seen what it has done. It’s now AIDS.
Bwezani, the madness of yours never ceases to amaze me, even when i stay away drom the blog, you always have some obscene words and concepts for the blog…mustarbation is not healthy…
Sony Ericsson Phiri, When are you coming these ends?!
117 i agree with you, A number of men complain that a loss of sensitivity or dryness of the glans following circumcision has spoiled their sex lives. At the other extreme are those who seek the operation to achieve these changes in the glans to enhance their sex lives. These complaints are similar to the mutilation obsession because men with naturally short foreskins are not troubled by having the glans exposed.
the other disadvantage of the practice especially in babies is that,If an uncircumcised infant gets a nappy (diaper) rash his foreskin becomes inflamed but his glans is protected. In the circumcised infant if the glans becomes involved, a sore (meatitis) develops at the opening of the water pipe (meatus) and passing water is painful. The meatus soon heals, occasionally there is slight scarring and very rarely the opening may have to be stretched. Napkin rash is caused by urine in sodden napkins decomposing and releasing ammonia so the condition can be prevented by proper hygiene. Modern high-absorbancy disposable nappies also make the risk negligible. The risk of meatitis, which is the most
150 conts…The risk of meatitis, which is the most common complication of circumcision in infancy, is advanced as the main argument against routine circumcision but little mention is made of the fact that balanitis in the uncircumcised male later in life is the most common cause of meatal scarring. Severe inflammation of the foreskin due to nappy rash can result in phimosis or balanitis and thus in any case lead to a need for circumcision.
I was circumcised at 35 with 3 children. It rejuvinated my sexual experience. Through out the period , I was supported by my wife who sat by the bedside. Circumicision keeps me clean all the time. It regulates my sexual appetite and give good prerformance. HIV OR NOT, circumcision is the best a man can have and thats why it was mandatory in the BIBLE. I urge all men to be circumicised. Im Tonga by tribe and can now claim to be a Tonga Bull unlike before the same. Its a wonderful experience. For encouragement, Please consult me at…….
In addition to the sexual benefits, the foreskin represents 60% to 80% of entire penile skin covering. Many people think the tonsils and the foreskin are responsible for causing infections. In reality, it’s just the opposite. Both are removed unnecessarily.
Tonsils are not worthless pieces of tissue. They fight infection, confine it to the throat and prevent it from entering into the bloodstream. It has been determined that the foreskin is normal, healthy tissue as well. Like all other body parts, it has a purpose for being there.
The best way not to contract HIV/Aids is to abstain from casual sex. Get married to some one without HIV, assuming you dont already have it yourself, and you will be alright. The majority of people do this.
I have had a lot of cousins and some friends and work coleagues who have died from AIDs. Some of these I grew up with. The only thing that killed them was casual sex. The nonsence that a man cannot have one woman has sent many men to their graves, plus their girlfriends and innocent wives. I feel sorry for the orphans we are taking care of. This has happened in many families. Please abstain!
#153 i agree with you. why would God create a part that must be removed later. Anything that God has intended like umutoto they go away painless.But if removing something and there is pain involved then it is not natural.
AID 2 AIDS IYO IKALI THE BIGGE
Read carefully the odeal of a circumcised man, I am now 64 and sure wish I did not lose that foreskin. In later life, in my opinion, not having that foreskin stroking sensation, is a bummer. If I had my druthers, I would opt to keep what my body came with, a complete foreskin. When a male gets older, that foreskin has to help him reach a climax due to the friction of the movement of the foreskin. I don’t know because I ignorantly had mine removed. However, if there was a donor and no chance of cross contamination, I would certainly consider a foreskin transplant just to see if I am right
Circumcision is efficacious in the fight against AIDS in that it dries out the lagerhan cells [the shiny cutical like cells on un circumcised man] and hardens tha penis coke thereby reducing chances of bruising that part of the organ that is highly susceptible to infection. Truthfully a cirmcised penis skin texture is the same as that of anyman’s finger skin. Its however not safe to engage in un protected sex soon after circumscision until is three months and above. Enjoy ma live guys. girls mapya amafumo nomba.
Read the following carefully… I was circumcised in my late 30s after fathering three sons (all of whom were routinely circumcised shortly following birth). My surgery was entirely elective (both my spouse and I prefer the look of a circumcised penis) and I found it a both brief and relatively painless procedure. I entered a local hospital as an outpatient and the operation took less than 30 minutes. I was under local anesthesia (several shots at the base of my penis quickly numbed the organ). The urologist, using a freehand technique, first made a dorsal cut in my foreskin and clamped off the bleeding tissue. He then clipped away the foreskin around the entire circumference of my penis, us
using what appeared to be surgical scissors and a scalpel. He then neatly sutured the incision which was located approximately one-half inch below the corona. Bleeding was minimal and I felt no pain whatsoever, only a notable pressure where the foreskin was being cut away. Watching the surgery was fascinating. No pain followed the operation although I would wake up with nightly erections (the pressure around my incision was uncomfortable but not really painful, quickly going away when the erection faded). Within two and one-half weeks the sutures were gone and I was left with a small, barely noticeable circumcision scar.
My first post-circumcision sex was normal and quite enjoyable, as it had always been prior to the surgery. With each erection I felt some pressure around the circumcision scar for a month or more after my surgery; however, the sensation of pressure soon faded and finally disappeared completely.
Now, decades later, having lived about half of my life intact and half as a circumcised male, I believe I can speak with some experience and authority on the subject, providing the type of personal information you seek. Following are my candid conclusions:
Imwe bonse,you are discussing a matter you do not understand. Dont you know that AIDS was created by the USA to depopulate Africa and others. The cure is there and they hide it. When pipo come up with cure world Health Org. (Which is controlled by US) will discrad the cure because it can jeopardise there plans to wipe out our popultn. Remember colonialism, slave trade etc. The only method to fight AIDS is to dismantle America’s influence in the world completely. Be brave and fight USA. They thrive on our problems including AIDS. ARVs are there to enrich large pharmaceutical companies. Isukeni Imitwe!!. You are wasting your intellectual capacity on simple matters insted of facing the real pbm
161…After my circumcision, over time I found I was able to delay ejaculation longer (perhaps due initially to the lack of penile sensitivity and later I assume due to my advancing age). This delay, for whatever reason(s), pleases — and pleasures — both my wife and me. If it is due even in part to my circumcision, that must be considered a plus.
Finally, I believe that adult circumcision is a mental as well as a physical act. Living in a country during a time when most males indeed have been circumcised, I honestly have enjoyed my post-circumcision years more than the first half of my life which were marked with some ridicule and feelings of “being different.” Combine that with a spouse who always expressed a personal preference for the look, feel and taste of a circumcised penis and I cannot help but believe that I did the right and proper thing in having my own foreskin removed. My only regret was that I did not act sooner.
No. 137 tg,
There is no time for politiking ayii! waumfwa, hear we are discussing serious matters. PF and the entire call boys membership does not exist and will never exist. Ubwato kale bwabunda. That is why you can talk about ubwato on a complete different topic. Imwe fyonse ni campaign. raise money and take you heart attack President to morningside.
‘AIDS’ is a boondoggle. It is a multi-billion dollar make work project for failed ‘cancer virus’ scientists like Robert Gallo. These people FAILED to find a virus that caused cancer, and when they were put on GRID (gay-related immunity deficiency), they came up with the… AIDS virus. Hacks. They even started to use chemotherapy drugs which were found too toxic for use in cancer – AZT. Now most people on these drugs die from… liver failure.
Don’t fall for this circumcision nonsense.
#122
I agree, it does not prevent AIDS, but reduces it and people still need to be vigliant in condomising!! no glove no love, life is too short and too precious to risk it on a “live” encounter!
On a pesonal note, I think cirmcucised ” members” look more attractive to the females! thats a tip( excuse the pun) for you guys out there!
Spectator 163, 164. My sentiments and experience exactly. Have no fear. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks (not that I can think of any!)
Good post, thanks!
Kufyakuchekana chekana mwapena..cutting inkanda ku things does not stop one from getting infected. Best option is abstenance…noti mwasembulula inkanda kwati mule ubula inkonde..NAAT THAT!!!!
its best 2 maintain yo full position as @ birth en js b more careful wth lyf itself.I’v neva herd of a careless circumised man not contracting AIDS as i have heard thy take quite sumtym 2 cum-whch is only true coz their feelins are so god d
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