Over 700 males have so far undergone medical circumcision in Masaka in an exercise that has been characterized by high turn up.
The high turn-up forced Rakai Health Sciences Project to extend mass circumcision campaign in the district for another week.
Last week, Rakai Health Sciences Project launched mass male circumcision campaign in Masaka town as one of the ways to reduce risks of acquiring HIV Aids among men.
Research shows that male circumcision reduces the risk of acquiring HIV AIDS in male by 61%. As a result, World Health Organization recommended male circumcision as one of the methods to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
The mass circumcision campaign at Masaka Municipal Health Center which targets males aged between 12 and 100 years was supposed to end last week. The mass circumcision is undertaken by a group of 8 surgeons from the Rakai-based project.
Nehemia Kighoma, the Rakai Health Sciences Project Circumcision coordinator says although they have circumcised over 700 males, close to 1000 others have also been registered to undergo the exercise. Kighoma explains that as a result, they decided to extend the campaign for another week to ensure that all the registered people are circumcised.
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By Wednesday morning, over 400 other males, majority of them boda boda motorists had turned up to register for circumcision.
Mujuzi Gonzaga, an 18 year old student from Kyabakuza Secondary School and Yazid Ssuuli, a boda boda motorist were still lining up to be registered and tested to undergo medical circumcision.
Gonzaga told URN that he has made two attempts to be circumcised but he had been failing to get registered due to high turn up. He says he wants to be circumcised to prevent sexually transmitted infections.
The circumcision process which involves removal of the foreskin from the male reproductive organ takes about 45minutes.
