Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
BBC News - November 30, 2007
After experts from the United Nations backed male circumcision as a way of reducing the chances of getting HIV, the BBC's reporter in Zambia's capital Lusaka, Kennedy Gondwe, decided to undergo the procedure himself.
It should be noted that this was Mr Gondwe's personal decision, not the BBC's, and that circumcision does not give immunity to HIV/Aids.
HIV TEST
Today is a very special day for me. I've just woken up and am going for an HIV test prior to my circumcision.
I have always wanted to be circumcised as a way of fighting the HIV/Aids scourge.
After reading a lot about circumcision, I am convinced that it is indeed a preventative measure for HIV/Aids.
I know already that the chances of me being HIV-negative are very high, because I go for these tests three or four times a year.
I have not gone for one this year, but I know I have not indulged in any risky behaviour, so I am not particularly nervous about the result, but I do wonder what people are going to make of my story.
One thought that is bothering me is that I don't know if I will be able to drive for the next day or two because of the pain that will be between my legs.
But that is the choice I have had to make.
The test itself is a little painful - I could feel it.
My results are ready soon after the test. They are negative, as expected.
THE OPERATION
In the male circumcision room, there are two beds. These are what men rest on after the operation until they are energetic enough to go back home.
With me is Boniface Chikumbe, the male circumcision provider.
"One of the first stages is to prepare the surface we are going to work on by cleaning it with an antiseptic solution.
"After that we are going to mark the exact area where we are cut off the foreskin. That will be preceded by giving you a local anaesthetic.
"After that we will cut off the foreskin, stitch together the cut areas, and bandage you to prevent any bleeding."
I am taken through to the theatre and lie down on a couch. The anaesthetic needle is inserted into the base of my penis.
The needle hurts. But when they cut, I do not feel a thing.
I see my foreskin. It looks ugly, with a lot of blood all over it.
AFTERWARDS
Thirty minutes later, they are done, and I am sent to the recovery room.
I ask Boniface how I should look after the wound.
Walking to the car, I feel strong enough to drive home.
I am very amazed and impressed at how quickly I find myself recovering as I drive back.
The only difference is that my foreskin has gone forever.
But it is something that I had prepared myself for, and I have no regrets at all.
Later, on BBC World Service's Outlook programme, Dr Tim Farley of the World Health Organisation explained that the reason circumcised men have a lower rate of HIV infection is that the tissue on the inside of the foreskin is very fragile, and therefore vulnerable to minor tears or abrasions during sex.
It is through these tears that HIV can get into the blood.
"Removing this part of the skin therefore reduces the risk of infection quite considerably," Dr Farley said.
However, he also stressed that circumcised men are not immune to the virus.
"They have to take other precautions in addition to circumcision in order to avoid HIV infection."
These include wearing condoms, reducing the number of sexual partners, and ensuring prompt and effective treatment is sought for any sexual transmitted infections, he added.
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