Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) has been recommended for the prevention of HIV transmission, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Uptake of the campaign has been relatively poor, particularly in traditionally non-circumcising... more
Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) has been recommended for the prevention of HIV transmission, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Uptake of the campaign has been relatively poor, particularly in traditionally non-circumcising regions. This study evaluates the knowledge, attitudes and practices of medical male circumcision of 104 community members exposed to promotional campaigns for VMMC for five years. Results show that 93% of participants have heard of circumcision and 72% have heard of some health benefit, but detailed knowledge of the relationship with HIV infection is lacking. 12.2% mistakenly believed you could not get HIV after being circumcised, while 75.5% believe that a circumcised man is still susceptible and another 12.2% percent don’t know. There are significant barriers to the uptake of the practice including misperceptions and fear of complications commonly attributed to traditional, non-medical circumcision. However 88.78% of participants believe circumcision is an acceptable practice, and community-specific promotional campaigns may increase uptake of the service.
