Editor,

RE: "Youth urged to act as agents of change” (The New Times, July 14).

This voluntary medical male circumcision programme is part of larger nationwide efforts to mobilise all segments of our population to play their part in this fight against the HIV/AIDS.

Obviously, this programme does not push for circumcision as the only method to help protect against the virus, as government and other actors are also looking at adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights to present various ways (abstinence, condoms, regular testing, using anti-retroviral drugs to suppress viral loads, etc.) to address the challenge of HIV/AIDS among the youth.

Male circumcision is a traditional practice in many cultures around the world, which, when performed in a safe manner, would also yield incontestable hygienic benefits.

Nayima

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Thanks for your response. Why is circumcision being promoted much more than the use of condoms which is more effective, cheaper, and much less invasive?

Being a traditional practice in the Muslim world does not necessarily mean that circumcision is advisable on the merits. Cultures that circumcise do it because there is a compulsion to repeat this trauma on the younger generation.

Psychologists understand that this is an effect of trauma. Those that do it invent reasons to defend the practice.

The latest invented reason is to prevent HIV transmission. Researchers with a financial and personal bias reported the result they wanted to find with flawed research.

There are no "hygienic benefits” from circumcision. This is another cultural myth used to defend the practice. Most of the world does not circumcise, and they are doing fine.

Do you know the functions of the foreskin? Professionals who advocate circumcision do not know!

Check out the functions and HIV information at circumcision.org.

Ronald Goldman, Ph.D.