South Africa: Drive to promote medical male circumcision as initiation season nears

Article here. Excerpt:

'As June fast approaches, many young boys in the Vhembe district in Limpopo will be sent to mountain schools for circumcision at the annual winter initiation schools.

But because of the dangers of contracting HIV/Aids and other diseases, some parents now no longer want to send their boys to the mountains, preferring them to undergo medical male circumcision performed at a hospital or clinic.

Despite medical male circumcision being offered for free at most government health facilities, many families who live in villages far away from public health facilities, have great difficulty sending their sons for circumcision, preferring the mountain schools which take place near their villages during the month of June.

To address and encourage parents to choose the safer medical male circumcision procedure, the Centre For HIV/Aids Prevention Studies (CHAPS) in Vhembe is offering free transportation, bookings and circumcisions to families who cannot afford to take their sons to their nearest public health facilities. These services are being offered at almost all public clinics and hospitals across the district in partnership with the department of health.'