Medical Male Circumcision Offered at Community Health Centres

Hanover Park, Heideveld and Mitchell's Plain Community Health Centres (CHC) are actively promoting the elective male medical circumcision (MMC) programme.

Males between the ages of 15 and 49 may make an appointment at any one of these facilities to have the procedure done. The 30-minute procedure is performed by trained healthcare workers and holds many health advantages such as:

• Reducing the risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted illnesses.
• Eliminating tearing and bruising during sex which reduces the opportunity of infection.
• Improved hygiene.
• Reducing the risk of developing penile cancer.
• Reducing the risk of passing the virus that causes cervical cancer to their female partners. 

The patient will be discharged from the facility on the day that the procedure is done, but complete healing will take up to six weeks. During the procedure, a cut is made and stitched up. The person comes back in 48 hours to check if there are no complications. Parents may also choose to have the procedure done on their male babies/child(ren).

Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, says: “It has been proven that medical male circumcision is one of the successful measures in the prevention of HIV transmission. For this reason, the Western Cape Government recommends every responsible adult male to consider the procedure.”

Many cultures and religions only support partial circumcision, but for full health benefits, a medical circumcision is recommended. Although having the procedure reduces the risk of being infected by HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), it is still advisable to use contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of HIV and STDs.

The procedure will be performed at the below mentioned CHCs on the following dates:

Hanover Park CHC:

• 17 October 2012
• 30 October 2012 

Heideveld CHC:

• 30 October 2012

Mitchell’s Plain CHC:

• 29 September 2012 
• 6 October 2012 
• 7 October 2012
• 13 October 2012
• 27 October 2012

For further details or to make an appointment, please contact: Bulelani Baso on 021 370 5005.