Circumcision age for boys stirs confusion
Scientists and medical practitioners have indicated it would be in the child's best interest to be circumcised at an early age. However, there have been issues raised with regard to the Children's Act.
THE inclusion of male circumcision in the comprehensive HIV prevention package early this year was hailed as a step in the right direction in the fight against HIV-Aids in South Africa.
But there is confusion as to what age boys should be circumcised.
Section 12(8) of the Act stipulates that circumcision of male children under the age of 16 is prohibited, except when it is performed for religious purposes in accordance with the practices of the religion concerned or for medical reasons on the recommendation of a medical practitioner.
Brian Honermann, researcher at NGO Section 27, said: "The confusion is based on a poor reading of the Act. At present, there is no legal limitation beyond standard informed-consent requirements that prohibits the provision of elective neo-natal medical male circumcision.
"The Children's Act expressly allows for circumcision of males under the age of 16 when they are conducted for medical reasons on the recommendation of a medical practitioner," he said.
Studies conducted in 2005 in South Africa and other sub-Saharan countries showed that male circumcision can provide 58 percent protection against acquiring HIV infection. After the findings were released most countries adopted the procedure as part of their HIV-prevention package.
"Given the ample scientific evidence that medical male circumcision substantially reduces the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and that neonatal medical male circumcision carries a lower risk of complications than child or adult medical male circumcision, a medical practitioner is well within the law to recommend elective neo-natal male circumcision to parents of newborn boys," Honermann said.
bulwazi
nnete ke hore setso sa rona batho ba batsho, se se nyenyefatswa. nna ke batla ho tseba hore hobane? di "scientists and medical practitioners" di e tshunya tshunya setsong sa rona batho ba batsho. ok i can understand that some of the religion (like judism) are also practising circumcision. but here in this article it looks and sound like it is only black people who are targeted.Report Abuse
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DRU
I think is the time to take my 5 years old boy to the Urologist.KE NAKO!Report Abuse
Hlabalingene
In my culture we have been doing it as early as 10, for centuries...can some people stop interfering with our customsReport Abuse
momok
this ting at the mountains is not good, other kids dont even come back home, depart of health must say do sumting about thisReport Abuse
mosschinno
it is a good thing to take your son to the urologst @angieliciousReport Abuse
Methodman
Im Xhosa men circumcision its our ritual, you are not a men in our culture until you go to mountain and experiance it yourself, going hospital still you are not a men, you will feel undermined by Xhosa community, you will be always given bad remarks until you die, Young boys die in mountain because of thier intercourse infection(avoiding clinic) that they take to mountain, unexperinced of Ingcibi(traditional Surgeons)and in the older days a boy used to wait until the age of 21 , but these days its 16 - 21. But let clarify this where Im coming from there is 1 - 2% death than in former transkei Emampondweni, because its new to them, it was introduced in 70s to them.If you have a foreskin uyi Nkwenkwe(boy) and some women dont like inkwenkwe!!
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SimbaT
To Kuku, are you a clown or what?? All your comments are funny and u killing me...R u a woman or u jst a clown like yr name?? Circumcision plays a pivotal role in curbing HIV or sexually transmitted diseases. Most African countries starts at an early age and that helps in enlarging one's shaboinker..Talking frm experience and thts Ayoba...Report Abuse