Rustenburg-As a build-up towards World AIDS Day commemoration on 01 December, the North West Department of Health will officially open a high volume Medical Male Circumcision (MMC) clinic at the Bafokeng Community Health Center, Phokeng (near Rustenburg) on Thursday.

 

The proceedings are scheduled to start at 09h00.

 

The opening of MMC clinic in Phokeng comes after three clinical trials found that circumcised men were considerably less likely to contract HIV from their female partners. The MMC site, which will be run in conjunction with the Center for HIV and AIDS Prevention Studies (CHAPS), is capable of doing over 200 circumcisions per week. 

 

This site is one of three high volume sites currently operating in the North West Province. Medical male circumcision is also available free of charge at all hospitals, community health centers and various clinics across the province.  Circumcision reduces the risk of contracting HIV by up to 60%. Using condoms reduces this risk even further.

 

This World AIDS Day, a revitalized HIV Counseling and Testing aimed at encouraging people to get tested will be unveiled by North West Premier, Thandi Modise. 

 

Testing is routine and free at every government health facility. 

The province will commemorate World AIDS Day in Moshana village, a farming community outside Zeerust.

 

STATISTICS ABOUT MALE CIRCUMCISION

 

 

 

1.Three clinical trails done in Uganda, Kenya and Orange Farm in South Africa showed consistent results that male circumcision reduces the risk for a circumcised heterosexual man.

 

2.Risk of HIV is reduced by 60% if a man in South Africa is circumcised.

 

3.In North West Province 18.9% of the entire population is estimated to be HIV-infected and 30.2% of pregnant women are HIV-infected.

 

4.Men get infected with HIV at an older age than women.

 

5.The age of first sexual activity in South Africa is 16 years, which highlights the importance of early circumcision.

 

6.South African Government plans to circumcise over 4m men by 2016.

 

7.14000 young men need to be circumcised in the North West Province over the next two years at all their sites.

 

8.Circumcision is a very safe procedure. Only 1-2% of all circumcisions have a problem – in most instances it is minor and resolved within a few days.

 

9.Men who are circumcised can go back to school or work the next day.

 

10.It takes about two hours at the clinic to be circumcised – this includes HIV testing, counceling about circumcision and the procedure itself. The actual circumcision takes about 15 minutes.-TDN

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