Health Promotion 

Medical male  circumcision

 

Medical male circumcision commonly known as MMC is a simple surgical procedure done to remove the foreskin of the penis. The procedure is available to members of the public free of charge at all public clinics and hospitals in South Africa as well as many parts of the world.  The service is available for infants, adolescents and adults, it a voluntary procedure therefore one can choose not to get circumcised. also have the right to be circumcised. The service is also available to HIV positive men as their right, however only currently healthy men with a good CD4 count can get circumcised.

 

The procedure

 

The procedure is a very simple one with the most method of performing medical circumcision in the public sector is the forceps-guided method. The lesser common method of circumcision is the dorsal slit and the sleeve resection, it also as also safe and as effective as the previously mentioned procedure.. Medical male circumcision is one of the most common procedures performed worldwide and complications are very rare and usually easily resolved.

 

Benefits of MMC

 

The procedure reduces a heterosexual man’s chances of contracting HIV and other STIs (ref slides and Kenya article). This has been proven by three clinical trials conducted in Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. The trials revealed that medical male circumcision (MMC) reduces heterosexual HIV acquisition in men by up to 60%. The trials also found that the procedure had other significant health benefits associated. These include reduced risk of contracting other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, herpes and human papilloma virus (the virus increases the risk of penile cancer in men and cervical cancer in women ). It also reduces the risk of getting urinary tract infections in children, phymosis (adherence of the foreskin to the penis) and balanitis (a yeast infection of the penis) are all also greatly reduced.      

 

Condom use after MMC

 

It is highly recommended that after circumcision that a man/ couple still use condoms  to further himself and his partner. This is because  protective effect that medical circumcision has on reducing HIV transmission is only partial and therefore can only work as an additional preventive measure; it is not a substitute  for condoms.

 

MMC compared to traditional circumcision

 

It has been reported that traditional circumcision does not have the same preventative benefits as medical circumcision due to the fact that traditional circumcision does not always remove the entire foreskin, like medical circumcision. Traditional circumcision is often not done safely and hygienically like medical circumcision.

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HIV/ AIDS

 

HIV is the acronym for human immunodeficiency virus. Unlike some other viruses, the human body can’t get rid of HIV completely. So once you have HIV, you have it for life. HIV attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), these cells help the immune system fight off infections.

If left untreated, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, resulting in the body’s immune system weakening , with the increase of   common infections like tuberculosis (TB), as well as other opportunistic infections, and tumors  (cancers) that rarely affect people who have working immune systems.

Over time HIV destroys these T cells , opportunistic infections or cancers take advantage of the weak immune system and signal that the person has AIDS, the last state of HIV infection.

 

AIDS is the acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, the most advanced stage of HIV disease. 

 

There is no effective cure for HIV currently exists, but with proper treatment and medical care, HIV can be controlled. The medicine used to treat HIV is called antiretroviral therapy or ART. If taken the right way, every day, this medicine can dramatically prolong the lives of many people with HIV, keep them healthy, and greatly lower their chance of transmitting the virus to others.  Today, a person who is diagnosed with HIV, treated before the disease is far advanced, and stays on treatment can live a nearly as long as someone who does not have HIV.

 

Contraceptives 

 

Contraception is the use of various devices, drugs, agents, sexual practices, or surgical procedures to prevent conception or pregnancy.

Contraception enables people to choose when they want to have a baby. The most basic  (traditional) contraceptive is celibacy or sexual abstinence means avoiding sexual intercourse.

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Withdrawal, or coitus is another contraceptive method, this is the process by which the man removes the penis from the vagina so that ejaculation occurs outside of the vagina. This prevents the sperm from being deposited in the vagina. People have claimed  that this method is about 90% effective if used correctly, but research suggests that about 1 in 3 couples who use this method will experience an accidental pregnancy within 12 months.

Male or female condom

The male condom is a mechanical barrier that prevents pregnancy by stopping sperm from entering the vagina. It is placed over the penis before sexual intercourse begins. A condom is made of polyurethane or latex. It can also help to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The female condom is made of polyurethane. The female condom has a flexible ring at each end. One fixes behind the pubic bone to hold the condom in place, while the other ring stays outside the vagina.