Saturday, January 30, 2016

SWAZILAND: More cut men have HIV than whole men

Why are we not surprised?

Star Africa
November 29, 2015

Swaziland: HIV infection higher among circumcised men – Survey

by APA
A study has shown that circumcised men have a higher HIV infection rate than uncircumcised men since 2007 when the Government of Swaziland introduced a policy on male circumcision, APA reports.

The study availed to APA Sunday morning [and available on this site since 2009]  states that out of the 305 circumcised men who were interviewed 21.8 percent were HIV positive compared to the 19.5 percent of uncircumcised men who were also interviewed and tested.

AIDS activist Vusi Matsebula told local media that most circumcised men are infected with HIV because of their behavior as they fail to use protection after undergoing the procedure because they believe circumcision is a preventive measure.

An official of Population Services International (PSI), Mandla Matsebula said; “The survey was conducted before the circumcision campaign was intensified. If they could conduct another survey now the results would be totally different.”  [Why should a more "intense" campaign have any different outcome? This is grasping at straws.]
 
Male circumcision, which is offered for free in Swaziland’s public hospitals, was introduced as a measure to minimize chances of infection by about 60 percent. [And still they chant their theoretical "60%" mantra, in  the face of real-world data that shows an increase in infection - using their own arithmetic - of  11.8%]
 
During school holidays the campaign gains momentum as male pupils are often the main targets for the free procedure funded by the government.

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