We are off to Malawi, Africa

We are off to Malawi, Africa again soon.

Several studies have shown that male circumcision has been shown to significantly reduce the effects of AIDS/HIV in men. In Malawi, about 14 % are descendents from the Yao tribe and they are Moslems. Some may know that Moslems practice circumcision just like the Jews. In some places in Africa and in Malawi, male circumcision is not performed at birth or 8 days after birth, but is done at initiation rites where boys pass into manhood.

The boys are about 10-12 years old and after the circumcision is done they are allowed to recover from their wounds as they are told about sex. They are given all the birds and bees information about the functioning of the male and female sexual organs. The information is given out by the tribal chief and each of the boys’ sponsors, usually an uncle or older brother. Fathers are not allowed to attend the rites, nor are any women. And all males attending must be circumcised.

Rarely, but sometimes boys died. If they don’t come home, the parents are not allowed to ask any questions about what happened. The emerging men are not suppose to ask any further questions about sex after their rite of passage.

Judith has a grant to study how AIDS/HIV information can effectively be passed along to these Yao boys-becoming-men and how might the circumcision procedure be improved.

My main mission in this trip is to attend the rites (after showing my right to admittance) and observe what goes on etc.etc.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions concerning this. That is, can I take photos, recording, movies, etc. And something could happen so I could not attend. But, the expectation is that I will be allowed to.

I expect some of this may be unpleasant but it is such an opportunity that I am looking forward.