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There are better and safer ways of protecting from HIV - condoms, abstinence, common sense, etc. This is a debate here in te US too, and there are many articles and books about the negative aspects of this practice (in America). Yes, there is evidence that the cells under the foreskin are slightly more susceptable to virus penetration, BUT this can be prevented completely with good hygeine. Circumcision - of infants or of teens or adult men can lead to many health problems. Even here in the US - where we are supposed to have the best doctors and facilities - circumcisions go wrong. A poorly done circumcision can lead to great pain - the list of possible problems goes on and on. Here it is from an article:

"The loss of the foreskin places one at risk for complications including meatitis (inflammation and ulceration of the urinary meatus), meatal stenosis (constriction of the meatus, resulting in blocked urinary flow and potential infection), preputial stenosis (scarring that constricts the glans), buried penis (entrapment of the penis by scar tissue), painful erections due to the tightened skin, scarring, desensitization that can severely reduce enjoyment of sexual activity, and a circumcised penis may be significantly smaller than it would otherwise have been. These conditions are almost unheard of in non-circumcised males, but affect up to 20% of circumcised males and may require additional surgery."

This article was talking about circumcision in the US - that's 20% of circumcised men in the US who have these severe problems and pain and need more surgery. I know too many men who have scars so bad their penis doesn't get fully erect or is it is too painful to have an erection so they just don't have sex. Given the current state of medicial facilities and the cost of healthcare in Uganda, promoting circumcision to prevent HIV is like cutting the beak off a rooster so it won't crow in the morning and wake everyone up!!

If circumcision is required by your religion, you should do what is best for you. If it is not, you should seriously think about the consequences before taking such a drastic step to prevent a disease that is so easily preventable by other means.

Om.kalisa - you are welcome and thank you for your very point-blank response!

Given all the current available information on prevention and transmission mode of this virus, it is worrying indeed how perceptions of how this deadly virus is transmitted does not appear to have soaked through to persons! 

Yes: there may be factors whereupon some people's genetic makeup prevents them from developing AIDS albeit some are most often carriers of this deadly virus - it does not however follow that we all are of the same genetic mould.  Just as some persons with this virus receiving therapy pertaining to the type of virus they have in their system have gone on to have it under control to an almost non-traceable cell count on regular checks - it doesn't mean that they or their loved are to rest on their laurels that they are completely free of the virus!

As omuchezikalisa states - by all means do get your bits cut/moulded for religious/faith/tribal, but for goodness let commonsense or well informed choices be a factor to how persons go about keeping themselves safe from STDs of all sorts!!  Hepatitis C is just as fatal and serious a virus which is killing off people silently - the simple measure lies down to basic commonsense to dietary hygiene.  Are we soon to hear that this too will be linked to some organ manipulation of a given religion or tribe?

The question posed by the present Ug president in this article I felt was worth bearing in mind - if circumsicion was the answer - then by all means, there wouldn't be any persons dying or dead from this virus from the community of those practicing circumscion.. 

Any measure geared at reducing the infection rate and acquiring of HIV/AIDS is a welcome respite but care should be taken to avoid promoting one method against the others. That precedent will harm more people. Whereas studies have shown circumcised men stand a chance against acquiring HIV it is not conclusive and by all means it doesnt either mean pipo who are circumcised wont get infected otherwise tribes performing it would not have folks dying.

The ABC strategy is agood one and we should avoid complacency which has led to stagnation of the HIV rate at 6% in uganda. The disease is manageable like all terminal illness, we should advise our people to go for treatment.if circumcision helps then we can have the young men circumcised but it wont mean they wont get infected if they dont take care.Even the Microbids gel stil has its loopholes.

One of the leading Banks here adoped an HIV strategy as: Condomise,Be faithful,Abstain CBA in that order and its working for their employees.

Yes, I support circumfusion with flying colors.  I am sick and tired of our government which allows people infected with HIV to kill innocent people.  There should be a mandatory check up to eliminate people infected with HIV from people who don’t deserve to die and live so many of our young generation without fathers and mothers.  I understand Uganda has a law of don’t ask, don’t tell but this is not right.  Millions of people who think that they are enjoying their life they are playing with a loaded gun.  Uganda is more deadly than IDI AMINS REGIME.  President Idi Amini killed over 300.000 people but HIV has killed over 5million people since it was discovered in Uganda.  Over 7 millions people are infected with HIV. 

People wake up and face the loaded gun.  Ugandans are not killed directly but they are killed indirectly.  If something is not done, in 5yrs to come, we will be seeing only foreigners replacing the wonderful people of Uganda.  I said this because these people have very strong tribal rules, especially the Somalies and the Sudanes. and other tribes I have not mentioned.

Yes Circumcision should be embraced if it would slow down the spread of HIV/AIDS.  I think it should be required for all male born children to be  circumcised before they reach the age of two.  I think also that education should always be; to teach our young ppl that saying no to sex is the best policy and always remember of use a protection.  My son was a marine and every time he came home and was going out with friends; I would look at him and call his name and tell him remember "protection"; he was so embarassed by my comments.  He loves me for ever being frank with him.  If you cannot follow them and control their behaviour at least give them the tools.  Sometimes when their hormones take over they can't think for themselves but if they can remember a message the parent said before they leave that is powerful.  I used to tell my daughters that I was not worried about them getting pregnant I was more conserned with the STDs and always told them to be careful.

My two cents as a parent

p/s my kids are 32 and 34 not married and too busy climbing corporate ladders than make me a grandma.

People, I know I'm digressing slightly from the topic here, but I came across this finding which in light of the connection to the topic discussed above, may be of interest to some if not all of us at what transpired at a meeting held a while back in 2000 pertaining to discussing the orgins of AIDS.  http://www.aidsorigins.com/content/blogcategory/14/47/ 

Worldwide there's debate about the Origin of Aids but folks if you watch this documentary you'll laminate the findings, the documentary includes commentaries from renown Physiologists, Pathologists, Journalists, private investigators etc. it really has loads of info and it's purely medical.

 Watch Origins of Aids here

Abstract:

Since first being broadcast in 2003 the Origins Of Aids has yet to be aired on UK television. Despite winning many awards and being hotly debated the reason is because of the barrage of legal assaults made on potential screeners by Dr Koprowski (and his legal network), who strongly denies causing the Aids epidemic during his 1950s trials of an experimental polio vaccine in Africa. Doc-Film-Net has also been threatened with more legal action for showing this important film than any other!

NB: Make sure your you are using broadband

The answer ma friend is a categorical

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

this propaganda by the west to damage the african race !!!!!!!

why did they invent AIDS? to wipe out the Africans? WHY?

why is  AIDS a predominantly a HOMOSEXUAL - homosexual thing or disease among the pipo of the western world, and for the africans and the Blacks be they african black americans the severe damage is inflicted on the pipo practicing HETEROSEXUAL relatioships.Bazungu made it to wipe the black race and now they are selling the idea that all african men be circumcised.....why why why why why and why not all the bazungu men?????????

Thanks Peregrine.  For some reason, the link was not coming through on a previous PC I'd been using. I've watched part of the documentary and I have to say I'm not surprised by the contents nor the reaction of those that opposed it being aired. Biological/genetics and chemical armoury is the order of the day - which puts stuff written by Robert Ludlum or John Le Carre to the fore.

Tiica - sadly that's the world we live in - collateral damage.

@ TIICA

Circumcision is good 4 all, so Africa should have a campaign "Circumcision 4 all" medically it has been proven that circumcised men have a small chance of survival compared to uncircumcised, of course that's not a preventive measure it's like a by the way. Let's do it as hygiene. For HIV prevention let's Abstain till marriage, and Stick to that special person, sampling and test driving has been suspended till further notice.

Methinks the answer to overcoming AIDS is the ABC formula. This thing called circumcision is only good for stuff that goes on between X and Y.

And maybe personal hygiene for those men who don't shower regularly.