Today the Mercury published a story written by Anso Thom of Health-e exposing serious adverse events due to the Tara KLamp circumcision device. The photographs, which prove the seriousness of these adverse events, are published in this Quackdown article. The Mercury article also describes a draft research report that was commissioned by the Kwazulu-Natal government. The report describes possibly unethical behaviour.

An expensive gift has cast new shadows over the Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Health's controversial decision to purchase and use an unsafe circumcision device called the Tara KLamp. In addition, a promised assessment of the clamp has not materialised, the clamp is still being used, and more adverse events are being reported.

What are the benefits, risks and ethics of circumcision? These are important questions to answer for South Africa, where the government is implementing a large circumcision programme to reduce new HIV infections.