Tanzanias female member of Parliament has called for all her male colleagues be checked on whether they have undergone circumcision.
According to Jackline Ngonyani any MP found not to have been circumcised should be required to undergo the procedure something that brought uproar among her colleagues.
Hon Ngonyani made the comments during a debate in parliament about how to curb the spread of HIV in the country.
Her suggestion was backed by MP Joseph Selasini.However, MP Joseph Kasheku opposed Ms Ngonyani’s proposal, describing it as uncouth and invasive.
This is not the first time such a debate is coming up, In Kenya, some top politicians voluntarily submitted to the procedure in 2008 as a way of encouraging men from their communities to do the same.
Circumcision is a procedure known to reduce the risk of HIV transmission where appafrently it is a major threat to public health in Tanzania with around 70 per cent of the male population is circumcised.
Around 5 per cent of Tanzania’s adult population is believed to have been infected by HIV – giving it the 13th highest rate of infection in the world, according to figures from 2016.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexual men contracting HIV by around 60 per cent.
Several African countries that are fighting HIV epidemics have launched campaigns to encourage men to undergo the procedure, which involves surgically removing the foreskin from the penis.