Male Circumcision and CDC

Thursaday June 2
Kissumu

We met Dr. Bob Bailey who runs the Nyanza Reproductive Heath Society in association with clinic University of Nairobi, Illinois, and Manitoba (UNIM).  It is sponsored by the FHI as a member of the Male Circumcision Consortium.  The mission is to reduce the number of new HIV infection o Kenya by improving and expanding the provision of safe and voluntary male circumcision service.  Basically, Bob Bailey conducted a research that the lack of being circumcised to HIV.  He conduced a randomized control trial.   They had a group of men that were tested negative for HIV and then they separated them into groups.  One group would be circumcised and the other would not.   The experiment was discontinued in the middle as the medical board found that it was unethical to withhold  circumcision to those in the control group.  The reason for this they found a direct linkage to HIV contraction to not being circumcised.  The science behind this was that the foreskin has a mucosal surface that which has langahan cells that target HIV which carries really quickly to lympnodes compared to a circumcised penis whose outer surface which has Keratin that creates a barrier. The experiment revealed that circumcision revealed the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS by 53% . To learn more Click here!

Later we went to a clinic called Tuungane Youth Project.  We were  introduced to center by Rhoda Makioto.  We were even able to observe a circumcision done through local anesthesia.  It was THE COOLEST thing we have ever done hands down.  First, they gave us masks to put on.  A nurse was sterilizing the and then numbing the guy's penis when we walked in.  She then made two marks on the foreskin front and back. She clamped the foreskins at the spot they marked. And then she just used a scissors and cut right across.  They cut about 2-3 inches of foreskin.  There was blood gushing everywhere.  they used clamps to contain the bleeders.  The nurse sewed each bleeder separately with a dissolving thread made of intestine.  Then she sewed the foreskin back to the tip.  I met someone who I was able to survey, we automatically hit it off and talked about everything.

Later we went to the other side of Lake Victoria and Dr. Wamai and I shared a huge fish with Ugali  It was finger licking good.  We then had a visit to CDC/KEMRI which us the largest next to the one in Atlanta.  The presented a video to us and then a quick tour.  Johnothan dressed really sharp and gave his resume.  I really admired that about him. On our tour of the CDC we went into the neglected tropical disease center.  Someone decided to ask them what was he likelihood of us contracting Schistosomiasis from our jump into the Lake.  We were told that we may have gotten one or two worm.  Everyone was freaking out so they prescribed us a medication called PZQ.  I think we should be fine. I am not a fan of panic.

We then had dinner with all the people we interacted with.  It was a good night. We are leaving Kissumu in the morning to go to Nairobi for the night.