Bagisu Experience Vault
Does male circumcision prevent HIV as claimed? Hear it from the Bagisu, a male circumcising tribe with one of the highest HIV rates in Uganda.
English subtitles available. Make sure the [cc] button is enabled on the lower right of the video player.Imbalu
Among some African tribes, child genital cutting, or circumcision, has been practiced for millennia. All tribes that circumcise girls also circumcise boys; but in patriarchal tribes, only boys are deemed worthy of “the cut.” Among the Bagisu, boys become men by way of imbalu. These ceremonies take place in August of even-numbered years.
Pius Nambale, leader of the Bamasaba Students Association at Kyambogo University, joins us at the 2016 inaugural imbalu ceremony at Mutoto. He explains how false messaging from the circumcision campaign has exacerbated the HIV problem in the region:
*The World Health Organisation strongly condemns parallel initiation rituals for girls, as well as the medicalisation of female circumcision, “for example when parents ask health providers to conduct [it] because they think it will be less harmful.” See African Women Are Free to Choose (AWA-FC)’s 2009 statement on the West’s double-standard between men’s and women’s initiation rites.
Imbalu Tourism
Elephants, gorillas, and… child genital cutting? These are some of the attractions available to tourists through the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB).
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