A Mitchells Plain doctor says he has invented a new device that makes circumcision quick and painless.
Dr Cyril Parker is based at Simunye Primary Healthcare and has served the community for 15 years.
Now the doctor and his team are extending his circumcision services free to those who need it, during December 2020 and January 2021.
December is HIV/Aids Awareness month, and Dr Parker and his wife Dr Elizabeth Parker are on a mission to spread awareness about the prevention of the diseases.
Cyril has developed a new circumcision device called Unicirc, which is made of plastic, glass and metal.
Although he won’t openly discuss the procedure, he says that it’s a 10-minute pain-free method compared to the traditional needle method which takes 30 minutes.
“After years of working on this device, it is finally available in surgeries for use and is the recommended method,” he says.
“It’s a revolutionary, safe method of circumcision and done for all ages, mainly for 15 years old and over, as that is the most vulnerable age in terms of prevention of disease.
“This method is a single visit procedure with no needles and no stitches, it's done very quickly and healing takes place rapidly – within three to four weeks in adolescence and for babies it's one week.”
Elizabeth says: “We do this to inform the community of the importance of prevention of HIV. Because it has been shown that once men are circumcised and are using condoms, further spread of HIV can be avoided.
“This fact is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO). A team of experts of WHO have visited us at Simunye Healthcare. We would like to invite men on the Cape Flats to make use of the free circumcision, people can sign up on the application by requesting it at [email protected]”
The free procedure is open to males aged 15 and over.
Chantal Burger says she had three of her sons circumcised with Dr Parker.
“My sons were all circumcised by Dr Parker and the experience was a breeze. There was no pain and cutting or blood involved, so I was really impressed,” she says.
“The healing was quick and pain-free and they had no stitches, after the machine kind of melts through the skin with the plastic and metal device, the skin falls off after a few minutes and there is no injection.
“There is a local anaesthetic which numbs the penis completely, there is no needle or stitches done but there is a tissue glue that replaces the stitches.”