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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The popularization of male circumcision in Africa: changing practices among the Sukuma of Tanzania
Authors:Soori, NnkoISNI
Boerma, J. TiesISNI
Robert, Washija
Mark, U.
Year:1997
Periodical:African Anthropology (ISSN 1024-0969)
Volume:4
Issue:1
Period:March
Pages:68-79
Language:English
Notes:biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:Tanzania
East Africa
Subjects:Sukuma
circumcision
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
Health and Nutrition
Anthropology, Folklore, Culture
Sukuma (African people)
Health surveys
Medical statistics
culture
Abstract:In many parts of Africa, male circumcision is linked to culture and religion and signifies a transition from one social status to another. This study describes data collected in the first half of the 1990s from a traditionally noncircumcising ethnic group in Tanzania, the Sukuma, which indicate that male circumcision has become more popular in recent years. For instance, 34 percent of Sukuma men in urban areas, 22 percent in roadside villages, and 10 percent in rural villages are now circumcised. Circumcision rates are higher among men with higher levels of education and those who are Muslim. Men are circumcised in their late teens or twenties. The reasons for the increasing popularity of circumcision were investigated in group discussions and in-depth interviews. The most frequently mentioned reason was health: circumcision was thought to enhance penile hygiene, reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and improve STD cure rates. Enhancement of sexual pleasure was a secondary reason for male circumcision. The causes of these changes in traditional practices, including the role of Islam and interaction between circumcising and noncircumcising ethnic groups, and the implications for health programmes, are also discussed. Bibliogr., sum.
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