Creaw Portal

Tuesday November 25, 2008

Age-old ritual shown to reduce chances of being infected with cervical cancer

By JOHN NGIRACHU

Purred on by reports of a significant increase in HIV infections among married couples, health officials want to involve women in the drive to have more Kenyan men undergo cir­cumcision.

Speaking at the launch of the voluntary male circumcision programme at Panaf­ric Hotel, Nairobi yesterday, Public Health and Sanitation assistant minister James Gesami said the ministry would provide free counseling for couples on the ben­efits of male circumcision.

Counselling will be part of Government's strategy to promote the male cut in Kenya, partly funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the US Government.

This follows recent release of data from the Kenya Aids Indicator Survey that shows two-thirds of Kenyan adults infect­ed with HIV are legally married or cohab­iting and that in one of every 10 marital unions, at least one partner is living with HIv, forming what doctors call 'discord­ant couples'.

Married couples

Dr Peter Cherutich, head of the national task force on circumcision, said counseling is critical for both married and un­married couples.

"There are cases where the husband sneaks out for circumcision and the wife interprets that to mean that he is prepar­ing to become promiscuous,or that it will have an impact on their sexual relations. Women have to be involved for the full benefits to be felt. Dr Cherutich said.

Spouses may not understand need for healing period.He said the one-month healing period may also create problems as women may not understand the need for prolonged ab­stention from sex.

Parents will also be advised on how to counsel their sons facing "the cut."

Research has also shown that the male cut markedly reduces chances of infec­tion with the human papilloma virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer - the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Kenya - by between 60 and 70 per cent. It also reduces chances of infec­tion with venereal diseases.

Public hospitals

Hospitals in Nyanza have recorded a surge in people seeking the services at public hospitals since circumcision was endorsed by the area's politicians.But officials say hospitals first must be accredited to offer the services.

The task force has already developed a manual and guidelines for circumcision and come up with guidelines on it.