Circumcision On Air in Migori
By Kennedy Owino
9 August 2018
Job Kajwang and I arrived in Migori town early enough in the evening of Thursday 2nd August, 2018 for our live radio show which was scheduled to be aired on Radio Milambo from 9:30pm till midnight.
Migori County has a population of 917,170 (census 2009). According to the 2018 HIV estimates the County registered 2,814 new HIV infections, this translates to 0.3% of the population. The Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS,2014) shows that 60% of women and 52% of men in Migori County who had reported two or more sexual partners did not use condom during their last sexual intercourse, putting themselves at higher probability of acquiring new HIV infection per sexual contact. About 73% of men in this County had already been circumcised by the year 2014 (KDHS 2014). The County consists of the traditionally non-circumcising Luos and Kurias. The Kuria and the Luo sub-tribe of Suna have been practising cultural circumcision as an initiation stage for childhood – adulthood progression and for religious reasons.
Before the radio station’s phone numbers were opened, there had been about 75 attempted calls from impatient listeners. This happened in the first hour when we were exhaustively giving the facts and figures why the massive pushing of circumcision in the county should be rejected by all and sundry.
Robert S. Van Howe wrote about how the African circumcision “solution” will increase HIV infections citing lack of scientific evidence, lack of biologic plausibility, lack of consistent epidemiological evidence. By conclusion Robert says that on a general population level, circumcision has no association with risk of HIV infection.
While live on air, we courageously and confidently spelt out the realistic solutions to HIV in Migori County to our listeners that fateful night. We emphasised consistent and correct condom use. Condoms have been proven to provide the most effective way of preventing STIs at approximately 95%. Circumcision of healthy babies, teenage boys and adult men is not a priority in a county like Migori where children from poor backgrounds drop out of school due to lack of financial resources and basic needs. There is little or no safe water for human consumption. Sometimes the water is not readily available or expensive to acquire. There is poor transport and communication networks. Circumcision philanthropists should be informed to redirect their funds to more meaningful life-changing beneficial projects in the County like building modern schools well furnished and stocked with updated books, hospitals, better transport and communication networks, relaying water to or closer to homes and social amenities, construction of irrigation channels and sponsoring needy but bright kids in institutions of higher learning.
Circumcision of healthy babies, teenage boys and adult men is not a priority in a county like Migori where children from poor backgrounds drop out of school due to lack of financial resources and basic needs.
Finally, we mentioned other basic prevention strategies for sexually transmitted infections. Abstinence and being faithful beside condom use, PrEP initiative, HIV education and awareness, delaying sexual debut and safe sex messages.
Regret stories, forced circumcisions, botched circumcisions and subjecting newborn babies to this medically unnecessary inhumane practice have been reported ever since this VMMC programme was rolled out more than ten years ago. A local daily newspaper, The Standard, reported in 2013 that HIV/AIDS was sky rocketing in Nyanza, a region now considered as the “hotbed of AIDS” despite the promise that VMMC would avert the disease whose prevalence is highest in the counties of Nairobi, Homa Bay, Siaya, Kisumu and Migori.
We usually read malice and suspicion whenever we see circumcision consent forms issued to school kids by the NGOs implementing the massive circumcision. The consent forms majorly aim at seeking the signature of the parent but lack some vital information like the name of the doctor, name of hospital /clinic and in most cases does not specifically name the surgery which is being consented to.
Our radio host, Maurice, eventually opened the phone lines, allowing listeners to make calls. One caller asked what could be the difference between traditional circumcision carried out in the bush with a knife and that which is done in a medical facility, hospital or clinic using sterilised equipment. Another person requested us to ascertain the allegation he had been told that traditional circumcision provided less percentage of risk protection against STIs (he mentioned 50% or less) than the hospital circumcision which he was told provides higher protection against risk of STIs (60%).
There were a bunch of other listeners who asked why there is usually no follow up after children have been circumcised. Another question was on how different circumcision affects sexuality either positively or negatively when done at birth and in adulthood. Some listeners bitterly wanted to know where foreskins cut from the tip of their son’s penises are taken to, while a few others questioned the possibility of reversing circumcision harm for those who regret having been duped into it.
There were a bunch of other listeners who asked why there is usually no follow up after children have been circumcised … while a few others questioned the possibility of reversing circumcision harm for those who regret having been duped into it.
One outstanding call came from a 75 year old Bishop Collins. The Bishop himself lived several years ago when female circumcision was an unquestionable norm in the African traditional set-up. He saw it gradually slip from the hands of the superstitious elders into legal prohibition. In his youthful days, the Bishop had his 6 lower teeth removed to fulfill the Luo cultural practice of initiation from childhood to adulthood. He saw this practice too go into oblivion. He aired his sentiments saying that several premature HIV deaths have been thwarted by the introduction of ARVs and PrEp. However, we were shocked to hear him say that male circumcision should be done to children because he believes it is one of the ways that can be used to contain the HIV epidemic.
A handful of callers just wanted to know why we have publicly come out to demonise the circumcision atrocity when it is already too late to save their sons who are already victims of the irreversible circumcision damage. Some listeners just wanted to know the physical location of our offices and contacts.
By the time our show ended at midnight, we were extremely exhausted and thirsty.
Kennedy Owino is the Director of Intact Kenya.