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Albert Nyathi is one of the ambassadors encouraging other men to get circumcised

Paidamoyo Chipunza
Debate is raging across African countries, Zimbabwe included on what happens to men’s foreskins following circumcision.
Traditionally, human tissue such as nails, infant’s umbilical cord stump and hair are disposed with caution fearing that they could be used by ‘witches’ to cause harm.So now that many media platforms are awash with stories of how foreskins are being harvested for use anti-ageing creams overseas, a lot of excitement has risen over the issue.

Circumcision has been embraced by many Governments, Zimbabwe included as a way to reduce new HIV infections.

Statistics

Male circumcision is the total removal of the fore skin of the male organ in a bid to reduce transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections by 60 percent. Zimbabwe has so far circumcised 98 245 males since the start of the programme and Government targets to circumcise 217 800 males by the end of the year.

As at beginning of the year, Bulawayo had the highest number of males who were circumcised with 18 percent compared to 5 percent in Midlands, Mashonaland Central, and Mashonaland West provinces. It is estimated that if 80 percent of the adult male population is circumcised by 2025 at least 45 percent of new infections would have been averted.

Zimbabwe is among 13 African priority countries with a higher HIV prevalence rate and low male circumcision prevalence.

Community concerns

Witchcraft

Recently, an MDC-T Senator for Matabeleland South was quoted in local media advocating for the ban of circumcision fearing the removed foreskins could be used in witchcraft activities.

Many other people share the same concerns as with the Senator Mrs Sithembile Mlotshwa.

According to a report titled acceptability of early infant circumcision as an HIV prevention intervention in Zimbabwe: a qualitative perspective published in PLOS Volume 7, majority of participants interviewed expressed concern over disposal of their foreskins.

“Zimbabweans are worried about disposal of body fluids/tissues as they fear that these may be used by ‘witches’ to cause subsequent harm. For example, people burn shaved hair and nail clippings in case these end up in the wrong hands. “Community members were therefore anxious about the fate of the amputated foreskin,” further reads the report,” reads part of the report.

Some participants were of the view that, just like the infant’s umbilical stump, foreskins should be given back to their owners to ensure that they are correctly disposed of.

Cosmetology

Unconfirmed reports claim that foreskins are turning out to be a profitable “business venture” in neighbouring South Africa, as they are reportedly sold to local and foreign markets.

It is claimed that these foreskins have a big market in America where they are used as ingredients for facial surgeries and skincare products such as anti-ageing creams.

It is believed that the elasticity component of the foreskins is good for clearing facial wrinkles.

Reports on social media also claim that celebrity talk show host Oprah Winfrey endorsed a product, whose ingredients included foreskins as an active ingredient.

What do experts say

A scientist Mr Tim Farley from the Sigma3 Services SARL Scientific & Statistical Solutions in Switzerland said as far as he was concerned only fresh baby foreskins are of any value for the medical and cosmetic uses.

Mr Farley who worked for World Health Organisation (WHO) and assisted in reviewing of evidence on circumcision and its benefits in HIV prevention said there is no medical value at all in using foreskin tissue from a boy or an adult:

“There are several medical uses of fresh neonate foreskins — growing skin for skin grafts as well as extracting growth factors and collagen used in cosmetics, in particular anti-ageing creams. “Some medical research into human stem cells (embryonic cells that can grow into any type of human cell and theoretically be used to repair or regenerate damaged organs) is done using foreskin cells (fibroblasts) as starting material.

“This work is still in the early discovery stage and no practical methods have been developed yet.”

He dismissed the idea of using fresh foreskin from an adult male as a skin graft saying it very unlikely to succeed.

Mr Farley also dismissed possibilities of importing and exporting of fresh foreskins saying there were strict rules and regulations about transporting human material across national borders.

“It is quite difficult to transfer blood samples collected for medical reasons between countries, and specific permission must be obtained describing the samples, their origin and the reason why they are being exported.

“It would in any case be almost impossible to obtain permission from the exporting country authorities as well as those from the importing country,” he said.

Commenting on the issue on social network, National Male Circumcision Co-ordinator in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Mr Sinokhuthemba Xaba said Zimbabwe was guided by the Act on human tissue stipulating that all human tissue removed within a health setting is disposed within the same setting.

“This  covers all other procedures that are done in hospitals and includes  human placenta,” said Mr Xaba.

Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha) director general Mr George Kandiero also dismissed as false, claims that foreskins could be used for witchcraft purposes.

“That is absolute nonsense. I strongly believe that there is no such thing. In any way the health ministry would not allow foreskins to find their way out of the hospitals into the hands of individuals.“If any of our members are in anyway involved, which I strongly doubt, we will deal with them and the law will certainly take its course,” he said.

Way forward

Head of Aids and TB Unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Owen Mugurungi said guided by the Witchcraft Suppression Act and the Public Health Act all medical waste is incinerated so that it does not cause harm to anybody.

“What happens is that our institutions have mechanisms of disposing medical waste, which include amputations, placenta, syringes and even foreskins. There is no way that foreskins can be said to be finding their way out of hospitals and male circumcision centres for any purposes,” said Dr Mugurungi.

He said all male circumcision centres across the country operated under strict conditions which compelled them to burn foreskins soon after conducting circumcision.

Dr Mugurungi said even if a person asks for his foreskin back after being circumcised, the law does not allow health officials to give them.

In Zimbabwe, foreskins are put in disposal bins before being taken for incineration together with other medical waste. On a parting note, your health and lifestyle is in your hands. Either you choose to keep that foreskin where it has always been and face the increased risk of HIV and penile infections, or you can let the professionals snip it off and trust them to do the right thing with the discards.

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