The
World Health Organization (WHO) approved expanded use of an Israeli developed device
that allows medical workers to perform “painless circumcisions.” The PrePex
device, created by Israel-based Circ MedTech, will be granted WHO
prequalification on May 31 for use with males age 13 and above in 14 African
countries.
Circumcision
is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of AIDS – which affects
nearly 30 million in Africa. Research and experience shows that male
circumcision, when safely provided by well-trained health professionals,
reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by
approximately 60%. Circumcision can therefore play an important role in
preventing the spread of HIV. Persuading adult to undergo circumcision is difficult
mostly because it is painful. Furthermore surgical circumcision is done in a
hospital or specialized clinic which are not available in the countryside.
PrePex which is produced by Circ Medtech is the first and so far only
nonsurgical male circumcision device. Using the device does not require injected
anesthesia, surgery, sutures, or sterile settings. The device, consisting of
plastic and rubber rings that are placed on the penis and uses pressure to
separate the foreskin from the head of the penis. The elastic pressure ring is
applied to the foreskin, cutting off distal blood flow. The placement of PrePex
band completely separate the foreskin from the glands penis. It causes death of
all human cells within the foreskin preventing the spread of bacterial toxin or
bacterial infection from the necrotic foreskin. After a week, the foreskin
falls off, and the wound is treated with a salve.
PrePex Non Surgical Male Circumcision Procedure video
PrePex
was found in studies conducted in association with the WHO to be safe and
effective when performed by physicians and nurses, offering a virtually
bloodless procedure that requires no injection of anesthesia, no knives, no
sutures, and can be performed in a non-sterile environment. To date, more than
125,000 PrePex procedures have been conducted in 12 countries: Botswana, Kenya,
Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia,
Zimbabwe and Indonesia. More than 11 national Training Centers are located
across Africa, training local healthcare professionals.
