Durban - In an effort to curb HIV infections, more than 200 young men from the University of Zululand are being circumcised at a camp organised by the tertiary institution and the KwaZulu-Natal Health Department.
The men, who are between 18 - 29 years, were being circumcised by a team of doctors and nurses, including volunteers from Medi Clinic.
The province had circumcised more than 10 000 men with no complications or deaths. The young men underwent a pre-procedure screening, which involved HIV counselling and testing. Blood pressure, blood glucose and other conditions were tested for at the clinic on campus.
In his address to the students on Monday, Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo said: "In 1990, HIV prevalence in this country was below 5 percent and today it hovers around 29 percent, and between 30 and 45 percent in the various districts of this province".
He added that two years ago, only three (eThekwini, Umgungundlovu and Amajuba) districts in the province had a prevalence rate above 40 percent. Now there are five, including the uThungulu district.
"This shows that something went wrong in the country and mainly in KwaZulu-Natal," said Dhlomo.
During his address, he spoke to the young men and women, advising them about facts that drive the HIV pandemic in the province.
He mentioned that both young men and women mainly finished primary school without being infected, except for those born to mothers who were HIV positive during pregnancy. He said that as soon as girls entered high school, the prevalence rate in women between the ages of 15 - 20 years dramatically increased.
"This shows that most women have sexual (relationships) in high school. What is strange is that their male peers remain negative (except for about 10 percent of them) until the age of 20 - 25 years. It can only mean that girls are having sexual relations with older men, 30 - 40 years, who infect them with HIV," the MEC said.
According to the MEC, HIV prevalence starts to rise at ages when they are in tertiary institutions.
The students committed themselves to living risk free lives, sticking to one partner and educating their peers about good and responsible behaviour.
Some even promised to reduce alcohol intake and drug abuse, as well as to be champions against women and child abuse.
In the uMkhanyakude District, a group of 40 traditional leaders, aMakhosi and iziNduna, were circumcised last week at their request as champions of the campaign.
