Hloni Mahate recently underwent the medical male circumcision procedure at the New Start Clinic in Tsakane. His motivation for undergoing the procedure was closely linked to his desire to remain HIV negative. Medical male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection by about 60 percent.

“To me its more like a step that a man has to take in today’s environment in today’s society. It’s a step that you take as a man to show that you’re responsible for yourself and your partners life and everyone else’s life around you,” Mahate told Health-e News.

The World Health Organisation recommends medical male circumcision as a strategy to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

The National Department of Health in South Africa has set a target to perform 4,3 million medical male circumcisions by the end of 2016. Men between the ages of 15 and 45 are being targeted to undergo voluntary medical male circumcision, offered free of charge at local clinics.

“Each and every step you take you have to take precautions that are available to you to stay alive,” Mahate said. “So I was like I’m going to, I’m going to take the right precautions and the first one is getting circumcised.”

This video was originally broadcast on Morning Live (SABC 2) on 1 June 2015

 

 

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