Believing Circumcision Prevents HIV,
Malawi Men Go on 'Sex Spree'.
According to news out of Malawi, men who undergo
circumcision are buying into the myth that they are now protected from HIV.
As a
result, many of the local men in Mangochi have gone on 'sex sprees,'
participating in sexual intercourse with multiple partners, without condoms, all
the while claiming they are now immune to HIV.
The
Malawi Voice reports that Dickens Mahwayo of Given Secrets Consultants
detests the misinformation being given to men across Malawi.
This past weekend
at the College of Medicine (COM) Research Conference, Mahwayo told colleagues
that he has found most men believe circumcision to be a license to have
unprotected sex with anyone they choose.
"What is most saddening is that most
circumcised men are now engaging in unprotected sex, claiming they are
immune to HIV."
Mahwayo's research demonstrates that the vast
majority, 74% of men, state that they no longer use any form of protection after
being circumcised.
In addition, 58% of female sex workers do not require their
male partners to use condoms if they have been circumcised.
Compounding the problem already in epidemic
proportions is that circumcised men now pay significantly less for services from
sex workers.
"Circumcised men are now charged peanuts for sex compared to
[intact] men," stated Mahwayo.
Believed to be 'less of a risk' and easier to
deal with, men who have undergone circumcision are given a break on cost.
This
spurs more men to sign up for circumcision under the guise that it will equal
more sex, without any risk.
The rate of intercourse with multiple partners is
increasing, as is the rate of intercourse without any form of protection.
This
false sense of 'HIV prevention' that current campaigns to cut in Africa pose are
bringing about greater rates of the virus now spreading at an alarming rate due
to these cultural myths and practices.
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