Mashonga, Bushenyi and Kyabunjingi health centre started to offer the service when Bushenyi district health department launched a free medical circumcision as one of the ways to reduce HIV infection in the district.

A senior medical officer Bushenyi district Dr. Edward Mwesigye said more than 700 youth have already
undergone the medical circumcision since the exercise was launched three months ago.
He says the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Bushenyi district now stands at 10% above the national average of 6.4%.

Dr. Stephen Karamuzi of the Uganda reproductive health (RHU) says he carries the private circumcision in his clinic at 5000 shillings.

Karamuzi explains that research carried out indicate medical circumcision reduces the chances of infection by over 60%. However it does not offer full protection against the HIV/AIDS infection.

By Mugisa Isaac Mathias

The post Health centres overwhelmed by seekers of male circumcision first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Women’s HIV Prevention Tracking (WHIPT) project coordinator, Marion Nakitunda said that Medical male circumcision for women has the potential to be a powerful tool for HIV prevention and added that findings show that there are many concerns that should be addressed to realize these benefits.

She said that Women lack of information and the opportunity to engage as decision makers and they feel strongly that the male circumcision programs should include monitoring of potential impacts such as increased stigma of women or coercive sex.

Health Rights Action Group   member Allen Kuteesa said that since Women always have been the champions of HIV prevention and Male circumcision is no exception.

She however, said that   government should take steps to address the gaps in its national male circumcision policy, which does not specify the need to address impact on women.

She said that women would like to see government leadership designing programs that have clear, accurate messages that are sensitive to gender issues and ongoing monitoring of gender-related impacts.

The coordinator of the US Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program in Uganda Michael Strong, while launching the    Mobile male circumcision Clinic in Baali, kayunga district, said that male circumcision should be taken to scale as a powerful HIV prevention tool and he pointed out that, from male circumcision counselling and health talks, Women get better informed men and its a chance to help men improve their health seeking behavior.

The founder, Mama’s Club Dr. Lydia Mungherera said   that male circumcision reduces men’s risk of infection by around 60 percent and added that Uganda desperately needs to implement strategies like this and take them to scale, so that we can turn the epidemic around.

Uganda has   Mobile male circumcision Clinic in Baali, which is just north of Kayunga town in Kayunga district

By Isaac Senabulya

The post Uganda women concerned about promoting male circumcision in fight against HIV/AIDS first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.