The Circumcision Device Helping to Cut out HIV/AIDS
At the end of 2015, the UN adopted a new strategy to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. Sounds rather ambitious, right? Well thanks to a revolutionary male circumcision device known as PrePex this is closer than ever to becoming a reality.
With recent studies showing that male circumcision can reduce the risk of getting infected by HIV/AIDS in heterosexual men by around 60 percent, there has been increased demand for effective ways to carry out the important procedure. Understanding that many men, even though they know the potential benefits, are wary about being circumcised, the team behind PrePex wanted to make the whole process as easy and accessible as possible.
PrePex is a non-surgical device that is safer, faster, and less expensive than any surgical male circumcision methods or devices currently available. The technology was developed by Circ MedTech Ltd., a global social enterprise combining innovation and technology into healthcare solutions. While surgical circumcision procedures are generally costly, painful and time consuming, the PrePex device is the exact opposite. It allows male circumcision to be conducted with no bleeding, no cutting of live tissue, no stitching, no injected anesthesia and no need for physicians or surgery rooms. This is all very important considering that many of the men who need the procedure lack access to basic healthcare facilities.
The revolutionary device has become so popular that it is now widely used in some 13 countries around the world and has picked up a number of prestigious prizes including being recognized for its contribution to humanity at the 2015 Tech Awards – “the Oscars of Silicon Valley.”
What makes PrePex so popular and effective is that it enables the men who use it to continue with their daily life. Even celebrities have used it, including one famous musician in Zimbabwe who went on stage while wearing the device under his clothes. With the growing success of this ingenious invention, th UN’s goal of ridding the world of HIV/AIDS seems to be on the horizon.
