AEGiS-13IAC: Cutting it fine male circumcision practises and the transmission of STDs in Carletonville.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Cutting it fine male circumcision practises and the transmission of STDs in Carletonville.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. MoOrC195)

Taljaard R, Taljaard D, Auvert B, Neilssen G
R. Taljaard, Mothusimpilo, CSIR., PO Box 91230, Auckland park 2006, South Africa, Tel.: +27 11 358 0360, Fax: +27 11 482 3267, E-mail: dtaljaard@csir.co.za

Issues There is increasing evidence linking male circumcision to reductions in the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. This paper describes some of the complex social factors underlying the practice of male circumcision in the Carletonville community. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be presented concerning the age distribution of circumcision amongst various communities including miners and local residents, attitudes towards circumcision, specific circumcision practises that are found in Carletonville, reasons given for circumcision and cultural practises related to circumcision.

DESCRIPTION: The history of circumcision amongst ethnic groups in South Africa as well as current practices are described. Quantitative data, collected in a biomedical and social survey conducted in August 1998, show wide variations. Among migrant mineworkers 34% of Zulus and 76% of Pedi were circumcised. The median age was between 15 and 20 years of age for all ethnic groups except the Shangaan amongst whom it was 7 years of age. Qualitative in-depth interviews and focus group discussion were held with influential people in the community.

CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and mean age of circumcision varies widely among migrant and non-migrant men in Carletonville. Circumcision has become detached from its original cultural heritage and is often performed at local clinics or by general practitioners. It is still very important to certain groups and is seen as part of 'becoming a man'. People who run traditional initiation schools are not threatened by circumcision at modern medical facilities but those attending the schools must be circumcised. Many in the community gave health reasons for getting circumcised, wives often making the appointment for their husbands. To understand the variation in HIV and STD infection in South Africa we need to understand the extent and nature of male circumcision and the effect that this is having on transmission.

Keywords: AEGIS, Circumcision, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Prevalence, HIV Infections, Learning, Legislation, Memory, Focus Groups, Recognition (Psychology), South Africa, Human, Male, transmission, surgery
000709
MoOrC195