I got circumcised to give my partner sexual pleasure

 

By Meluse Kapatamoyo

 

Health experts say Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision can reduce contraction of HIV by 60 percent. But despite the benefits, most men still shy away from the cut citing various reasons, among them pain during and after the operation. However, the belief that circumcision reduces sensitivity during sex, is responsible for much of the resistance.

So a challenge came through from one of my readers asking me to find a man who would be willing to speak candidly about circumcision. It took me a while to find someone who was ready to speak on the issue without 'hiding' under the name of anonymous. But one person was willing to share his story after reading my notice.

Here is my short interview with Innocent Matyola, aged 41, who got circumcised in 2009.

Pokeyourmind: What or who motivated you to undergo circumcision

Innocent Matyola

Innocent: It is something i had thought about for a long time. i decided get circumcised  firstly 
for personal hygiene, as well as giving my wife pleasurable love making.

Pokeyourmind : Pleasurable love making...does circumcision guarantee that, how?

 

Innocent : It does. It gives you endurance and confidence.  You do not get to experience premature ejaculation.

Pokeyourmind: Okay, but what about talk that it reduces sensitivity. Any truth in that statement?

Innocent : To some extent yes. But that also has a benefit in that reduced sensitivity guarantees your partner to have the much required orgasm. Too much sensitivity has always led to premature ejaculation.

Pokeyourmind : So, low sensitivity does not worry you?
 

Innocent : It always makes me feel I should as well work to satisfy my wife. As you may know and I should attest to the fact that men have always had to ejaculate even when their women counterparts were left unsatisfied. So it doesn't bother me at all.

Pokeyourmind : Okay. I guess she appreciates the sacrifice. Now tell me, did you have any fears or concerns prior to the operation?

 

Innocent : As a matter of fact I almost all the time wished I should have gotten circumcised. I had a habit of pulling my foreskin most of the time so I appreciated the idea before the operation. So for me it was something i looked forward to. Besides its a small operation which healed in two weeks but a few days after i was able to get round and do my normal errands.

Pokeyourmind : You hail from the Southern part of Zambia where circumcision is not commonly practiced. Do you openly talk about it and do you encourage men from your area to get circumcised?

 

Innocent : I openly talk about being circumcised and why i did it and the benefits and am proud to say, that a number of people i have shared my story with have gone ahead to get circumcised despite coming from Southern Province where this is not a common practice as is the trend i areas like North-Western Province.

Pokeyourmind : Do you have sons and if so are they circumcised?

Innocent : I do have sons  but they are yet to get circumcised but i intend to have them circumcised. PYM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delicate answers to the indelicate question of low sperm count

By Meluse Kapatamoyo

As mentioned earlier on my facebook page, Pokeyourmind, I will be dedicating some time to following up on topics sent in by my readers. The subject below is one that has topped the list of requests sent in, not only by men but surprisingly by women too. I spoke to Dr Robert Mtonga on the topic ‘Low Sperm Count’ and here is what he had to say...

Pokeyourmind: What is low sperm count?

Dr Mtonga: It refers to the ejaculation of less than 15 million sperms per millilitre, (The normal ejaculate should contain at least 250 million sperms).

Pokeyourmind: What are the causes?

Dr Mtonga: There are many causes and these include pre-pubertal state( which refers to boys before they attain puberty), disease conditions e.g Sexually transmitted diseases, infections, abnormal growths in the tubes  that conduct sperms to the outlet, problems with sperm production and storage areas, failure to ejaculate, tumours, hormonal problems, certain medications, alcohol and tobacco use, industrial chemicals, stress and emotional problems, poor diet, stress, overweight among others.

Pokeyourmind: What are some of the known signs that someone has a low sperm count?

Dr Mtonga: Infertility is the obvious and commonest tale-tell sign. Definitively however, a man needs to have a special test known as Semen Analysis. Semen is the fluid that contains sperms.

Pokeyourmind: Depending on results from the semen analysis, when can it be considered dangerous enough to warrant medical attention?

Dr Mtonga: A sperm count of less than 15 million sperms is cause for worry if coupled with infertility. A result showing abnormally shaped sperms, less motile sperms, high fluid acidity etc. do not herald good news. Other relative indications that send men, sometimes with their partners in tow, include erectile dysfunction, pain on ejaculation, blood in the semen and trauma or surgery to the spermatic cord.

Pokeyourmind: How does it interfere with one’s ability to make a woman pregnant?

Dr Mtonga: A low sperm count does not necessarily lead to impotence but is one of the most common causes of it. Paradoxically a man need only one sperm to make a woman pregnant, but chances are greatly reduced with a low sperm count.

Pokeyourmind: Can a man enjoy sex when they have a low sperm count?

Dr Mtonga: Definitely.  A low sperm count does not interfere directly with enjoyment of sexual intercourse. A man who is losing sleep over a low sperm count obviously will not enjoy sexual intercourse due to psychological reasons.

Pokeyourmind: What is the prevalence rate?

Dr Mtonga: No research has been done in Zambia on the subject. Globally it varies from place to place depending on underlying factors.

Pokeyourmind: What can be done to reverse this condition?

Dr Mtonga: This depends on the underlying cause(s). The remedy ranges from behaviour changes such as reducing alcohol intake, losing weight, treating an organic condition, using medication to boost the production, corrective surgery etc.

Pokeyourmind: What myths are associated with low sperm count?

Dr Mtonga: These are many and include:- marital unfaithfulness, witchcraft and ancestral curses, weakness of the manhood, the wife is using charms, wearing tight pants, jealousy from rivals etc. PYM.