Circumcision over-emphasised

Shame Isaki
WHILE it is not my intention to discredit or create controversy over the issue of circumcision being spearheaded by health-related NGOs and the Ministry of Health and Child Care as another way of reducing the spread of HIV virus, negative media reports concerning this exercise (circumcision) have left me with no choice but to comment.

In any case, the public has a right to be informed on matters that affect their day-to-day lives. The Herald of Thursday, November 13, 2014 and the last edition of The Manica Post carried two separate articles on circumcision which both had a negative feel.

First, The Herald reported that female students at Mukore High School in Bikita were forced to undergo pregnancy tests at a local clinic after suspicion got the better of the whole village and the school authorities that a number of these female students could have fallen pregnant as a result of a sexy frenzy following a voluntary circumcision exercise of male students.

The male students had been circumcised a few months back and as expected their wounds had healed and so the next thing for them to do was to ‘‘test’’ the performance of their modified apparatus and in doing so girls fell pregnant. Fearing for the worst, villagers put pressure on the school authorities to have all female students go for compulsory pregnancy tests.

While I understand the villagers’ actions or worries I don’t believe exposing all the female students to such a humiliating exercise is or was the solution. If we are saying that this sexy frenzy that hit the two rural schools, Mukore and Marirangwe, was as a result of the aftermaths of the circumcision exercise on male students then it means that those who have been carrying out this exercise across the country are to blame and must be held accountable for the students’ behaviour.

The male adult population of this country is still to fully embrace this gospel of circumcision and its health benefits and the next thing we hear is that students are being circumcised. While things are changing it is still safer to assume that students up to high school level are not entitled to sex and what this group needs is abstinence campaigns.

Resources should be channelled towards adequately informing the students on why it is important for them to abstain from sexual activities and highlight to them the dire consequences of random sex. I think this approach would help more than circumcision because knowing kids or teenagers that they are an adventurous lot once they are circumcised. The next thing is, they want to test the water, which is what we don’t want to happen. I also wonder if those advocating circumcision are being honest enough as to the value of this exercise in terms of reducing the chances of contracting HIV virus because as is already known, the most common cause of infection is unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner emanating from the exchange of fluids between the two parties.

From this I think we can tell that it is much better to discourage sexual activity in schools than to emphasise circumcision and even the purposed use of condoms.
The equally disturbing report on circumcision was in The Manica Post. Peter Nyashega (33) of Mutasa is alleged to have forcibly ‘‘circumcised’’ his two children aged five and two with a nail-cutter. Now this is absolute madness. I am happy the matter is before the courts and with the faith I have in our courts, chances are that if this man is found guilty, then a deterrent sentence will be handed down on him.

Again it is another case of this whole circumcision programme being over-emphasised and wrongly interpreted to the extent that the uneducated villagers are tempted to do it their way without proper guidance and the results are there for all to see.

It is important for this man to also undergo a mental test because facts on the ground are showing that he might be unstable and meanwhile we hope those children are receiving treatment and proper care. It is time Zimbabwe refused to embrace every programme that is initiated elsewhere only to be forced down on us even if it is of little or no benefit at all.

Shame Isaki is a preacher, business consultant and socio-political commentator. He can be contacted on 020–68818/ 0773 018 662.