Advertisement!
Author Information Pack
Editorial Board
Submit article
Special Issue
Editor's selection process
Join as Reviewer/Editor
List of Reviewer
Indexing Information
Most popular articles
Purchase Single Articles
Archive
Free Online Access
Current Issue
Recommend this journal to your library
Advertiser
Accepted Articles
Search Articles
Email Alerts
FAQ
Contact Us
Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

Volume  15, Issue 1, January-March 2022, Pages 43-48
 

Original Article

Fatality as a Result of Traditional Circumcision in Mthatha Region in South Africa (2004-2014)

Banwari Meel

Professor, Research Associate, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth 6017 South Africa.

Choose an option to locate / access this Article:
90 days Access
Check if you have access through your login credentials.        PDF      |
|

Open Access: View PDF

DOI: doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.21088/ijfmp.0974.3383.15122.6

Abstract

context: The practice of culture is to protect people and preserve life. No culture allowed becoming a danger to human beings, sacrificing young lives year after year. The community keeps turning a blind eye to one death after the other because of tradition and culture. objective: The main objective of the study was to describe the deaths that occurred between 2004 and 2014 due to traditional circumcisions. method: This is a record review descriptive study. The data were collected from the Forensic Pathology Laboratory of Hospital Complex from 2004 to 2014. results: A hundred and fifty-five cases of circumcision related deaths were reported over a period of 11 years (2004-14) in the region of South Africa. The causes of death included septicaemia (66-42.6%), blunt trauma (6-3.9%), dehydration (4-2.6%), renal failure (3-1.9%), hypothermia (2-1.2%), and pulmonary thrombo-embolism (2-1.2%). conclusions: Death due to circumcision is unethical and unacceptable conduct due to unacceptable cultural practices. This practice must be banned. A strong political message needs to be sent to the community as well as to the practitioners of circumcision.


Corresponding Author : Banwari Meel