Interestingly enough the circumcision issue brings up a lot of debate – people feel very strongly on the issue. But the problem with – and therefore what is great about – the internet is that it’s free range for people to voice their opinions. Some opinions also hurl abuse, while others are informative. It’s almost like people forgot their social manners when it comes to online space. I had someone comment on one of my posts – saying my stance on circumcision was irresponsible. I have allowed other comments of people who are opposed to my view because it’s informative – we should have a space to discuss issues – and they weren’t plain rude and offensive – and since it is my blog, I decided to have my own rules – freedom of speech that isn’t obnoxious.
I think I was also slightly peeved because I don’t write these blogs just for fun. Yes some may be humorous, but actually this issue is very real for me. Being from a country where approximately 16% of the population is HIV+ (down from 20%), I know enough people, including my own relatives who have lost their lives as a result of this virus, and many more, some extremely close to me who are still living with the virus. I don’t want to lose anyone else, even if it is inevitable for those already infected, but there is nothing worse than losing a loved one to a disease like this. Or any terminal disease I suppose.
So when I’m sharing these thoughts on what the top health bodies are suggesting are key to stemming the spread of HIV, I’m not doing it as joke, but hoping to share opinions on it and understand the issue, and hearing both sides of the debate helps this.
I don’t know if the person who chose to send the comment has ever lost someone to HIV or if perhaps he is living with the virus himself, but I think not having discussions on different aspects relating to HIV and AIDS is irresponsible. I think not talking about the realities of HIV, whether you’re infected or affected, is irresponsible. However, if he thinks that my comment about men getting circumcised if that means they won’t have to use condoms means that a whole bunch of men will go out and get circumcised, well then he clearly thinks I have more influence than even I could have imagined! (And clearly it would be a whole bunch of people who can’t really read because I’d already said that even if a man is circumcised he’d still have to use a condom. Sigh)
My point is that these blogs are my thoughts on the issue, that I want to share, because I care too much about this issue to sit here not doing all that I can do, and if that makes me irresponsible, I guess I’m happy to wear the title.
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3 comments
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January 26, 2010 at 7:18 am
Restoring Tally
I welcome your posts on the circumcision debate. I believe that open discourse will help everyone.
The HIV problem in Africa is terrible. My fear is that a lot of the advocates of the circumcision campaign in Africa are from the United States, which has a very strong circumcising culture. I see studies by the circumcision advocates that promote circumcision, but the studies that don’t support circumcision are stopped early or suppressed. It would be nice to see some long term studies and some real analysis of all the studies without the pro or anti circumcision bias that is prevalent.
As a man living in the United States, I am concerned that condoms must still be worn even after circumcision. Many circumcised men, including myself, do not like to wear condoms because our circumcision has reduced our penis sensitivity such that wearing a condom results in little sexual satisfaction. There is a great reluctance for circumcised men to wear condoms in the US.
January 26, 2010 at 12:19 pm
cathynphiri
And I totally hear you. When I first head about the circumcision issue, I wasn’t sold, honestly, I’m still not 100% convinced, there are too many unanswered questions – the biggest one being what is the point of circumcision if you still have to wear condoms to fully prevent yourself from infection?
As a woman, I can’t speak to what it’s like to be circumcised and only speak to my own experience – and that was my point of my previous post.
But I do think there needs to be much more debate on the issue, and I’m so glad that you’re sharing your thoughts and experiences here.
March 19, 2011 at 10:28 pm
Joel
“what is the point of circumcision if you still have to wear condoms to fully prevent yourself from infection?”
Well, exactly. The condom completely covers the area affected (or not affected) by circumcision.
Even more eye-opening is the information that the HIV rates in the united states, where circumcision is extremely prevalent, are far higher than in similarly-developed areas of the world that do not practice circumcision. So, the strategy is clearly not working here.
There was also a study that I noticed you were likely not informed of that discovered the way male-to-female HIV transmission rate was significantly higher in circumcised men. The circumcision-biased researchers therefore called the study irrelevant, since it didn’t prove what they were hoping it would (an incredibly unethical way to conduct research). But what is relevant is that male-to-female transmission occurs much easier than female-to-male (which is the type studied by the research you have been discussing).
Needless to say, it’s not surprising to me that since the time of those studies it has become widely known that the HIV rates have actually become higher in circumcised populations (as a Kenyan government report documented).
So, although I understand that you had the intention of helping to save lives with your posts, I believe you may have jumped onto the bandwagon a little prematurely, with inadequate understanding of the situation.
Perhaps you let your unabashed preference for circumcised penises get the better of you in this case? If so, you’re not the only one who has done so. But, it is a real problem that REAL efforts to stop HIV and the funding necessary for those educational campaigns and std-testing clinics, and the money needed to help bring clean drinking water and other such necessities that can help curb the HIV situation are being DIVERTED and WASTED on a practice that does not help.