Is male circumcision an “Invisible Condom?” Men’s Knowledge, Attitudes, Perception of Risk to HIV infection and willingness to circumcise in Harare, Zimbabwe

Abstract

In 2009, the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health launched a national voluntary medical male circumcision programme, targeting to circumcise 80% of males by 2015. The present study examines the impact of men’s knowledge, attitudes and perception of risk of HIV infection to their willingness to accept circumcision. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 666 men aged 15-35 in Harare, Zimbabwe. The present study employed descriptive statistics, bivariate and logit regression model. The results showed that men who had favourable attitudes towards male circumcision and those who perceived themselves to be at a higher risk of HIV infection were more likely to be willing to circumcise. Contrary to expectation, knowledge of male circumcision was not significantly related to willingness to circumcise. The study’s findings highlight the need for the promotion of the kind of health education which would emphasise the health benefits of male circumcision.