Several African nations including Rwanda, Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe are tackling the spread of HIV virus with non-surgical male circumcision.
The health ministry said the effort is in a bid to cut rates of HIV infection, thus becoming the
first country in the world to do so.
"Studies have shown that circumcision reduces the risk of
heterosexually acquired HIV/AIDS infection by roughly 60 per cent," the
health ministry said in a statement; it added that "male
circumcision is one of the key strategies to achieving an AIDS-free
generation."
Non-surgical circumcision involves a plastic device called PrePex
comprising two rings and an elastic band that cuts off blood supply to
the foreskin, which shrivels and is removed with the band after a week.
Rwanda's health minister, Agnes Binagwaho said the procedure had been "clinically
validated as a bloodless procedure that doesn't necessitate injected
anaesthesia".
"Rwanda is the first country to launch non-surgical adult male
circumcision with an aim of reducing HIV infection," she said at
the launch of the World Health Organization-backed project.
The makers of PrePex boast that a man "can resume work and almost all
daily activities shortly after the procedure", with the device
"designed to be placed, worn, and removed with minimal disruption",
although they should abstain from sex for six weeks afterwards.
The device takes only five minutes to apply. Tzameret Fuerst,
president of PrePex, described it as "a very simple procedure that any
nurse can conduct.
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