An important part of Grassroot Soccer’s HIV prevention education is teaching young men the importance of getting circumcised. We go over this in an
activity called “Condomise and Circumcise” where
the boys learn about these topics while the girls do
something separately. Recently, however, the Grassroot Soccer network has realized how essential it is
for females to be involved in the discussion of
circumcision. The Kim Staff decided to take this conversation to our coaches, and open up the dialogue on
the stigma surrounding circumcision.
After an introduction from the interns, Coach Lionel started us off, “It’s about culture, some cultures don’t want to talk about it. In my house my father is colored and my mother is ‘tswana. I follow my mother’s culture but I have to go with my father’s tradition and I had to get circumcised at an early age.” This sparked a cultural debate, hitting some boiling points but creating a platform where we could speak openly about the differences in cultural traditions regarding circumcision. Coach Billarocks noted a crucial difference saying, “some aren’t educated about it, if they had more knowledge they would do it. Circumcision is a sensitive issue, culturally for some, lack of knowledge for others.” Coach Tlhogi went on to clarify that “it is a way of life and not just for health. There are teachings behind it. It is a way of life according to one’s belief system, and for others it is religious. Medical Male Circumcision is health education, there are health benefits, there is no teaching. But culturally it is a way of life.”
After addressing the basics we moved on to the challenges. Coach Big Eyes commented on the changing nature of male circumcision: “There are traditional leaders that don’t comply with the health department but some of them have started to take initiative and work with the health department to avoid deaths. They still do what they do culturally but are working to decrease the death rate.”
Coach Sabelo spoke up about a very serious problem facing young men: “Say for instance I'm younger than K and I'm going to circumcise. The pressure is on K – now K says, Sabelo why don’t you do it for me. Friends circumcise friends. Some circumcise to prevent HIV, others to do what their friends are doing.”
After an introduction from the interns, Coach Lionel started us off, “It’s about culture, some cultures don’t want to talk about it. In my house my father is colored and my mother is ‘tswana. I follow my mother’s culture but I have to go with my father’s tradition and I had to get circumcised at an early age.” This sparked a cultural debate, hitting some boiling points but creating a platform where we could speak openly about the differences in cultural traditions regarding circumcision. Coach Billarocks noted a crucial difference saying, “some aren’t educated about it, if they had more knowledge they would do it. Circumcision is a sensitive issue, culturally for some, lack of knowledge for others.” Coach Tlhogi went on to clarify that “it is a way of life and not just for health. There are teachings behind it. It is a way of life according to one’s belief system, and for others it is religious. Medical Male Circumcision is health education, there are health benefits, there is no teaching. But culturally it is a way of life.”
After addressing the basics we moved on to the challenges. Coach Big Eyes commented on the changing nature of male circumcision: “There are traditional leaders that don’t comply with the health department but some of them have started to take initiative and work with the health department to avoid deaths. They still do what they do culturally but are working to decrease the death rate.”
Coach Sabelo spoke up about a very serious problem facing young men: “Say for instance I'm younger than K and I'm going to circumcise. The pressure is on K – now K says, Sabelo why don’t you do it for me. Friends circumcise friends. Some circumcise to prevent HIV, others to do what their friends are doing.”
Coach Fire and Coach Big Eyes both addressed the
importance of going to the clinic to be checked even
if you get the procedure done on the mountain.
Coach Fire offered that you could get circumcised
medically and then go to the mountain for the
cultural traditions. After Big Eyes noted the need for
support, Nora asked the team, “How can we better
support each other in this process? How can men
support other men, how can women support men,
etc?” To which Coach Lerato asserted, “It goes back
to you as an individual. Take responsibility for you
and your partner. If you don’t have the right information some things you might be doing and you
don’t know how they will affect you. “ And Big Eyes
commented on the need for your girlfriend’s support
“the pressure comes back to the girlfriend. You have
to wait 2 months [after circumcising] before indulging in sex. A friend of mine [after Big Eyes circumcised] was like WHAT 8 weeks! He was afraid to get
circumcised because he and his girlfriend are used to
doing it everyday. If you go to circumcise your lady
might feel like it's been long now I’m going to find it
elsewhere. It comes to communication. Talk to your
girlfriend and if she can't wait for 2 months you need
to break up. When your healed get another girlfriend,
it’s not rocket science.”
Coach Michele brought up the fact that circumcision does not only reduce the risk of contracting HIV but other things. Nora then asked the team, “Have you guys heard of HPV? It's a virus that is carried by men but does not manifest, yet they can give it to women who can then get cervical cancer – women are a big part of this conversation.”
After further discussion Thembi closed with, “I hope one day we can talk about it more openly,” alluding to the seriousness of cultural influence as well as the ever-important need to communicate.
Coach Michele brought up the fact that circumcision does not only reduce the risk of contracting HIV but other things. Nora then asked the team, “Have you guys heard of HPV? It's a virus that is carried by men but does not manifest, yet they can give it to women who can then get cervical cancer – women are a big part of this conversation.”
After further discussion Thembi closed with, “I hope one day we can talk about it more openly,” alluding to the seriousness of cultural influence as well as the ever-important need to communicate.
