Circumcision Method Without A Doctor is Being Tested in Africa

It might be revolutionary and it's certainly a good idea, but I can't help but to cringe when imagining an adult male getting circumcised without anesthesia.

The story comes from Africa where they are trying to reduce the number of heterosexual AIDS cases. The VOA story I found on this subject identifies the product used for these circumcisions as PrePex and they say that it works "in the same way as an umbilical cord removal"; that's pretty much all the description they give and I'm sure we're all wondering exactly what happens with the procedure, so I went to their website.

It looks like they use two rings, one elastic and one plastic, cut off the blood flow to the foreskin and then make the cut; once again they claim no anesthesia is needed and the procedure can be performed by a nurse instead of a doctor. I'll take their word on the no pain part of the procedure, and if it reduces HIV, it's a good thing, but I'm glad that was take care of for me when I was too young to remember.