The New Marketing in Action

Last month I showed that the marketing for circumcision had changed again to eliminate any remaining concern for either voluntary or adult. Voluntary, adult male circumcision had been rebranded down to “safe male circumcision”. Here is the inevitable goal being realized in Botswana. Babies to be circumcised:

As a long term plan to fight the HIV/AIDS spread the Ministry of Health will now introduce a Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) programme targeted at male babies and infants. In the past few years the government has been preaching SMC to males who are in sexually active ages.
…

“Towards the end of this year we want to enrol babies in the SMC programme and parents will be sensitised on the programme and its procedures. We have realised that targeting sexually active aged men and youth is not enough; we should have a long term vision for our strategies; targeting babies will result in the country having less people at risk of being infected with the virus in the next 15 to 20 years,” [Conrad Ntsuape, the National SMC Coordinator in the Ministry of Health] said.

When public health officials say voluntary or adult, they never mean voluntary or adult. They are “targeting” and “enrolling” infant males. It’s propaganda.

Also notice the fallacy that circumcising infants will result in fewer people at risk of being infected with HIV in the next 15 to 20 years. That is inaccurate, and a warning sign that they do not understand what they are doing. Circumcising infants will (allegedly) result in more males with a reduced risk of becoming HIV infected during vaginal intercourse with an HIV-positive female. Each male still retains a risk of infection, and without other (more effective) changes, including consistent condom use, men – and their partners – will still become infected. Spreading this incorrect understanding is an effective way to continue the spread of HIV.

Relevant to this problem with marketing:

Media were singled out as not playing a visible role in relaying the message on SMC. Beauty Gakale, the SMC Regional Coordinator said SMC should be given wide coverage to avoid confusion and misconceptions about it in the public. “Media, especially private media have been less active in relaying the SMC message and it is high time they played a role in this. We are also urging political leaders to play their role by encouraging men to undergo the SMC. ”

Public officials should worry about their own mistakes before demanding that media assist them in pushing propaganda. For example:

Asked why the advantages of the SMC are communicated to the public while the disadvantages are hardly discussed, Dr. [Adrienne] Musiige said SMC is like any other surgery and can be susceptible to infection if not well managed.

That didn’t answer the question.