Men urged to consider circumcision
Through technical assistance, Right to Care supports the Department of Health at a national level.
As part of a 16 Days of Activism awareness campaign at the Ivory Park North Hall, members from Right to Care reached out to the community to create awareness about the safety of male medical circumcision.
Right to Care is a non profit organisation (Section 21) that supports and delivers prevention, care and treatment services for HIV and associated diseases.
Through technical assistance, Right to Care supports the Department of Health at a national level.
In addition, through direct service delivery, Right to Care treats patients for HIV, TB, cervical cancer and sexually transmitted infections.
On the day, they managed to circumcise 12 boys and others were booked for the following day.
Cervical cancer programme members conducted 14 pap smears for young women.
According to Right to Care’s MMC Programme Coordinator Mr Lindokuhle Zondi, their organisation is supporting the DoH with prevention interventions such as medical male circumcision and cervical cancer screening.
“It has been scientifically proven to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition by 60 percent, MMC is offered as a comprehensive package of services that includes HCT, the provision of condoms, and the education for behaviour change. Right to Care offers free medical male circumcision to various communities, targeting males between 15 and 49 years. Minors, those between 10 to 17 years, need parental consent,” said Mr Zondi.
Right to Care’s prevention programmes include treatment as prevention, medical male circumcision (MMC), HIV counselling and testing (HCT), and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT).
“The response from the community was good as they promised to bring their children for circumcision,” Mr Zondi said.
For more information, call 0800 448 024 (toll free) or send a “please call me” to 082 808 6152 or a blank message to 41449.
