Ode to SMC

Ode to SMC

Any takers on what SMC is?

Its certainly not anything in ‘Merica that we think about.....

And only men/boys can do it.....

SMC stands for “Safe Male Circumcision,” SMC is a very simple (relatively) way to minimize mens risk for acquiring HIV. SMC can reduce the risk of a male contracting HIV from unprotected intercourse by 60%. It is currently one of the big pushes right now in Southern African to halt the spread of HIV. 

A very readers digested version of circumcision in Botswana: Many many moons ago, before the white people were vomitted from the sea, teen age boys were taken into the bush (literally the bush) and went through initiation schools. Girls did the same too. At this time, boys were then circumcised by the elders of the tribe and taught about manly things. Then the white people came, mainly in the form of Christian missionaries and told the tribes that circumcision was a big no-no. Slowly the circumcisions stopped. Fast forward to present day. White people are now saying that circumcisions is good again. Shish....what to believe?

The idea of circumcision is well....highly not favored by the men folk here. The clinics and health community are pushing SMC hard core with ad campaigns and health movements. To make it even more appealing, it is even free! As a good PCV, I had the health educator come and speak to 130 of my favorite teenage boys of the benefits of SMC.

The presentation was in Setswana, so I didn’t catch most of it, but one of the glorious things about the language is that it is very expressive. So while I didn’t know what exactly what was said--I had a pretty good idea from the presenter and the culmination of laughter and shrieks the boys gave off. 

One of the most common reasons men-folk claim not to get circumcised is the 6 week post surgical period of abstinence. The boys were told that they need to abstain for 6 weeks, then the presenter went on to put the fear of God in them. What better then to tell them that if they had sex, their penises would open up? Perhaps the tip would come off...All one hundred and thirty of them made a collective shriek and squirmed. 

Ideally, the boys will rush the lines to get circumcised...but realistically, this will not happen. My main goal of the presentation, is that these boys will thing about getting circumcised and perhaps one day, actually get circumcised---or better yet. Share the information they learned with their families back home.