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The circumcision death toll in the Eastern Cape has risen to 16 with the death of another would-be initiate, the province's health department announced on Thursday.

Demand for male circumcision as a method of combating HIV/AIDS is likely to increase dramatically if the results from two studies, in Kenya and Uganda, are positive. Public health experts are warning men, however, that circumcision may reduce the risk of HIV infection but it does not provide full protection.

SPRINGS, 23 May 2006 (PLUSNEWS) - A conversation with a group of mini-bus taxi drivers in Springs, about 50km east of Johannesburg, revealed a mixed set of attitudes and behaviour when it came to condom use and HIV. The men were the targets of a condom distribution and awareness-raising programme run by the Save Our Loved Ones Foundation (SOLOF), a local NGO.

Most of the progress on gender issues had to do with women's health, a Commission on Gender Equality report has found.

Organisations including the International Coalition of Genital Integrity on Friday cautioned against reports indicating that mass circumcisions could help prevent the spread of HIV.

The first ever randomized controlled trial (RCT) of male circumcision as an HIV prevention measure has produced such strong evidence of a protective effect that the trial has been halted early and all participants have been offered circumcision, the Third International IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment in Rio de Janeiro heard on July 26th.

The wound inflicted on Evangelina Kangai 26 years ago, when she was in Class Four may be healed, but her heart skips when she remembers the ugly ordeal.

Traditional leaders look set to take steps that could help curb deaths in initiation schools. In the latest incident 14 under age boys have been admitted to hospital in the Mount Frere area of the Eastern Cape following botched circumcision procedures.

Condom Use and Sexual Behaviors Among Individuals Procuring Free Male Condoms in South Africa: A Prospective Study Condom use was relatively high in individuals procuring condoms from public health facilities in South Africa, but data highlight several important barriers to condom use that may be targeted by future interventions. Sex Transm Dis 2002 Apr;29(4):239-241 Myer L, Mathews C, Little F. BACKGROUND: Although the South African government has increased the number of male condoms distributed free to the public, there is no understanding of whether these are being used effectively to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection. GOAL: The study goal was to determine sexual behaviors and barriers to condom use among individuals procuring condoms distributed free to the public sector. STUDY DESIGN: In a prospective study, individuals who procured condoms from 12 public health facilities across South Africa were recruited and observed for the next 5 weeks. RESULTS: The 384 successfully observed subjects reported 3262 sexual contacts, of which 2637 (81%) involved protection with a condom. In multivariate analysis, alcohol consumption and use of other contraceptives were associated with unprotected sexual intercourse. CONCLUSION: The levels of condom use are relatively high in this population, but these data highlight several important barriers to condom use that may be targeted by future interventions. PMID: 11912466 [Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ and enter the Pubmed ID above into the search box]

Health education programmes and free condom distribution have not stopped South African commercial sex workers from having unprotected sex, a study has found. A study conducted by the London School of Economics found that 69% of local commercial sex workers (CSWs) in the South African gold mining community of Carletonville are HIV-positive. The study investigated whether sex workers' working and living conditions undermined their ability to insist on condom use. Interviews with sex workers revealed that sex workers were aware of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and would prefer to use condoms but clients almost always refused. Poverty and the fear of violence forced them to accept their clients' demands, the study said. Most of the women felt it would be difficult to present a united front against men demanding unprotected sex as there was fierce competition for clients, the study added. According to the study, for many women, early life experiences had reduced their confidence in their ability to take control of their lives, making them less willing to insist on using condoms. Despite the many obstacles to condom use among sex workers, the study found that, even in poor conditions, women had resources that could be used by HIV/AIDS prevention programmes in order to enhance their self-confidence in condom negotiation. The women had support groups and networks among themselves and received support from other shack dwellers in the community. Community-based sexual health promotion programmes were better able to reach these women through these networks, the study suggested. (Source: Mail and Guardian, 25 January 2002)