16-year-old injured in machete self-circumcision

A 16-YEAR-OLD boy from Lupane District in Matabeleland North province used a machete to circumcise himself after succumbing to peer pressure.

Matabeleland North provincial medical director Dr Nyasha Masuka said the teenager sustained injuries and was rushed to St Lukes Hospital for treatment.

He said the incident occurred last week and the teenager was admitted to the hospital for two days.

Dr Masuka said the boy who completed Form Four last year, was being mocked by his friends who were saying he was not going to attract girls because he was not circumcised.

"It seems the other boys were laughing at him for not being circumcised so he used a machete to circumcise himself and he injured himself in the process.

He was rushed to St Lukes Hospital where the health staff circumcised him," said Dr Masuka.

He urged youths not to be pressured into making decisions that could endanger their lives.

Dr Masuka said he did not understand why the teenager tried to circumcise himself when voluntary male circumcision teams visit his home area regularly.

Lupane district medical officer Dr George Mature said the latest circumcision exercise was conducted in the boy's area last month.

He said the boy comes from an area with diverse social groups hence it was difficult to penetrate.

"He comes from an area bordering Gokwe, Lupane and Binga and as such the area has different ethnic groups. After attempting to circumcise himself he was rushed to Kenyandavu Clinic which called an ambulance and rushed him to St Lukes Hospital," he said.

Dr Mature said other patients at the hospital were shocked at the boy's bravery. "The patients who were admitted with him were wondering how he managed to do it. The good thing is that he wounded the outer layer of the foreskin. So we had to keep him at the hospital to monitor him as he had used a clinically inappropriate tool so we were worried that it could have caused an infection," said Dr Mature.

He said the boy was discharged after two days.