After spotting this article about a whopping 90,000 Kenyans getting the snip since the Government launched a Rapid Results initiative at the end of 2009. Firstly a big shout out to everyone who got the snip in this drive, you are all playing your part in cutting the spread of HIV in Kenya. But bear in mind these two points;

1. Getting circumcised is only part of the battle there is still a need for you to know your status so think about getting yourself tested
   
2. Circumcision only reduces the chances of you transmitting HIV, it doesn’t make a difference to the chances of you passing it on to a woman, also it is NO substitute for condom use.
3. 90,000 is a big figure that should be applauded but lets not get it twisted there are just under 40million people living in Kenya so we know some of you reading this blog will not have taken part in this circumcision drive so we would like to hear from you about why…

Anyway, have a read and let us know what you think of this article – it is nice to see a story in the Kenyan press about the progress being made in the fight against HIV but what implications do you think this will have on HIV rates in Kenya?

90,000 Men Get the Cut in HIV Campaign
Daily Nation, Kenya

02/02/2010

Elisha Otieno

Nairobi — Some 90,000 men have been circumcised since the government launched the campaign in a bid to contain the spread of HIV.

Many of the men were circumcised during a Rapid Results Initiative drive conducted in Nyanza Province at the end of 2009.

From November 9 to December 20, some 35,000 men were circumcised in the region, according to a Male Circumcision Consortium newsletter.

Kenya is one of 14 sub-Saharan countries that have expanded Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision programmes since ground-breaking Randomised Controlled Trials conducted in Kisumu, South Africa, and Uganda revealed that the procedure reduced men’s chances of HIV infection by 60 per cent.

“Kenya was able to get off to a relatively quick start because we had a solid foundation to build on in Kisumu, where the research was conducted. And we’ve been able to build on that foundation through strong leadership from the government and excellent collaboration among all the government’s partners,” said Dr Mores Loolpapit of Family Health International.

The consortium, as one of the partners in the government’s Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision programme, is conducting research in Nyanza Province to assess the impact of expanding access to the service and to identify the most effective way of delivering the service.

According to the newsletter, seven studies are under way and results are expected over the next three years.

More than 5,000 men in Migori and Rongo districts have been circumcised since the exercise started in October.

Mr Charles Kirui, an official of the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation in the region, said local people had started changing their attitude and accepting circumcision as a way of reducing the spread of HIV and Aids.

The exercise is being conducted by the Family Aids Care and Education Services programme and the Kenya Medical Research Institute under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation.

The National Aids Control Council has released Sh30 million to boost the campaign in Nyanza.

So what did you think of the article?

Where you one of the 90,000 to get the snip in the testing drive? If so why?

Do you think these circumcisions will lead to an increase or decrease in condom use?

What implications do you think these circumcisions will have on HIV rates in Kenya?

Drop us a comment and let us know…

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