Binga men shun circumcision, condoms uptake high

BINGA men continue to shun voluntary circumcision as no single men was 'cut' between January and March but male condoms intake is high.

National Aids Council (NAC) Matabeleland North monitoring and evaluation officer Mthokozisi Moyo said the resistance was due to entrenched cultural beliefs which were against circumcision.

"There is need to strategise ways to teach and persuade people in the district to embrace this exercise lest we compromise other efforts to prevent the spread of HIV," Moyo said.

Male circumcision is reputed to reduce female-to-male sexual transmission of HIV by 60%.

Binga had low sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Matabeleland North at 9% after Lupane which accounted for 8% of STI cases in Matabeleland North.

Hwange recorded the highest STI cases accounting for 37% of all cases in the province.

"In male condom distribution, Binga district accounted for 37% of male condoms distributed followed by Hwange (18%) while Umguza had the least (2%)," Moyo said.

"Hwange had the highest number of sexual abuse cases (36%), followed by Tsholotsho (29%) and the least reported cases were recorded in Lupane (1%), Umguza (0%) and Binga (3%)."