Health Benefits Of Male Circumcision Research Articles

Knowledge about male circumcision and perception of risk for HIV among youth in Harare, Zimbabwe.

BackgroundMale circumcision will require high uptake among previously non-circumcising countries to realise the impact of circumcising in preventing HIV. Little is known about whether youths are knowledgeable about male circumcision and its relationship with HIV prevention and their perception of risk of HIV infection.ObjectiveThis article aimed to ascertain youth’s knowledge about male circumcision and perception of risk of HIV infection.MethodsA quantitative study on 784 youth (men aged 15–35 years) was conducted in Harare, Zimbabwe, after obtaining their consent. Multivariate analysis examined the associations between background characteristics and knowledge about male circumcision and the perception of risk of HIV infection.ResultsThe results revealed that age was a significant predictor of knowledge about male circumcision among youth in Harare, as was educational attainment and ever having tested for HIV. In addition, youth who had heard of voluntary medical male circumcision were more likely to have high knowledge of male circumcision compared to those who had never heard of it. The results also showed that male circumcision status was associated with higher knowledge about male circumcision compared to those who were not circumcised. The study also found that educational attainment, belonging to the Shona ethnic group, never having tested for HIV and disapproval of voluntary counselling and testing prior to male circumcision were associated with the perception of risk of HIV infection.ConclusionThe study provides two recommendations: the need to strengthen perceived susceptibility to HIV among the youth and the need for advocacy on the health benefits of male circumcision.

Estimation of country-specific and global prevalence of male circumcision.

BackgroundMale circumcision (MC) status and genital infection risk are interlinked and MC is now part of HIV prevention programs worldwide. Current MC prevalence is not known for all countries globally. Our aim was to provide estimates for country-specific and global MC prevalence.MethodsMC prevalence data were obtained by searches in PubMed, Demographic and Health Surveys, AIDS Indicator Surveys, and Behavioural Surveillance Surveys. Male age was ≥15 years in most surveys. Where no data were available, the population proportion whose religious faith or culture requires MC was used. The total number of circumcised males in each country and territory was calculated using figures for total males from (i) 2015 US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) data for sex ratio and total population in all 237 countries and territories globally and (ii) 2015 United Nations (UN) figures for males aged 15–64 years.ResultsThe estimated percentage of circumcised males in each country and territory varies considerably. Based on (i) and (ii) above, global MC prevalence was 38.7 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 33.4, 43.9) and 36.7 % (95 % CI: 31.4, 42.0). Approximately half of circumcisions were for religious and cultural reasons. For countries lacking data we assumed 99.9 % of Muslims and Jews were circumcised. If actual prevalence in religious groups was lower, then MC prevalence in those countries would be lower. On the other hand, we assumed a minimum prevalence of 0.1 % related to MC for medical reasons. This may be too low, thereby underestimating MC prevalence in some countries.ConclusionsThe present study provides the most accurate estimate to date of MC prevalence in each country and territory in the world. We estimate that 37–39 % of men globally are circumcised. Considering the health benefits of MC, these data may help guide efforts aimed at the use of voluntary, safe medical MC in disease prevention programs in various countries.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12963-016-0073-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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

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.

"After my husband's circumcision, I know that I am safe from diseases": women's attitudes and risk perceptions towards male circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania.

While male circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission and certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs), there is little evidence that circumcision provides women with direct protection against HIV. This study used qualitative methods to assess women’s perceptions of male circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania. Women in this study had strong preferences for circumcised men because of the low risk perception of HIV with circumcised men, social norms favoring circumcised men, and perceived increased sexual desirability of circumcised men. The health benefits of male circumcision were generally overstated; many respondents falsely believed that women are also directly protected against HIV and that the risk of all STIs is greatly reduced or eliminated in circumcised men. Efforts to engage women about the risks and limitations of male circumcision, in addition to the benefits, should be expanded so that women can accurately assess their risk of HIV or STIs during sexual intercourse with circumcised men.

‘It brought joy in my home as in the area of my wife.’ How recently circumcised adult men ascribe value to and make sense of male circumcision

The present study used a phenomenological approach to explore the everyday-life experiences of male circumcision (MC) and to learn how recently circumcised men ascribe value to and make sense of MC. Thirteen recently circumcised Zambian men were identified through the snowball technique and interviewed using a semi-structured interviewer's guide. Findings indicate that the post-operational experience of adult MC smoothly fits into the everyday-life experience of the men interviewed and is perceived and experienced as a broader social health issue, which largely transcends both the personal HIV risk of the individual male and the private sphere. The study provides three important lessons for MC programmes: (1) the broad social aspects of MC put forward by the interviewees suggest the potential for a popular intervention and, consequently, a large uptake of MC; (2) findings suggest that in addition to emphasising the HIV protective effect of MC, MC promotion should also highlight the social, sexual and romantic values perceived and experienced by the interviewees of this study; (3) the analysis reveals potentially harmful misconceptions about the health benefits of MC, demonstrating the importance of proper pre- and post-circumcision counselling as well as public health messages related to MC.

The Medical Benefits of Male Circumcision

The Medical Benefits of Male Circumcision

Male circumcision for the prevention of acquisition and transmission of sexually transmitted infections: the case for neonatal circumcision.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) male circumcision policy states that while there are potential medical benefits of newborn male circumcision, the data are insufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision. Since 2005, however, 3 randomized trials have evaluated male circumcision for prevention of sexually transmitted infections. The trials found that circumcision decreases human immunodeficiency virus acquisition by 53% to 60%, herpes simplex virus type 2 acquisition by 28% to 34%, and human papillomavirus prevalence by 32% to 35% in men. Among female partners of circumcised men, bacterial vaginosis was reduced by 40%, and Trichomonas vaginalis infection was reduced by 48%. Genital ulcer disease was also reduced among males and their female partners. These findings are also supported by observational studies conducted in the United States. The AAP policy has a major impact on neonatal circumcision in the United States. This review evaluates the recent data that support revision of the AAP policy to fully reflect the evidence of long-term health benefits of male circumcision.

Declining Rates in Male Circumcision amidst Increasing Evidence of its Public Health Benefit

BackgroundRecent experimental evidence has demonstrated the benefits of male circumcision for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Studies have also shown that male circumcision is cost-effective and reduces the risk for certain ulcerative sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The epidemiology of male circumcision in the United States is poorly studied and most prior reports were limited by self-reported measures. The study objective was to describe male circumcision trends among men attending the San Francisco municipal STD clinic, and to correlate the findings with HIV, syphilis and sexual orientation.Methods and FindingsA cross sectional study was performed by reviewing all electronic records of males attending the San Francisco municipal STD clinic between 1996 and 2005. The prevalence of circumcision over time and by subpopulation such as race/ethnicity and sexual orientation were measured. The findings were further correlated with the presence of syphilis and HIV infection. Circumcision status was determined by physical examination and disease status by clinical evaluation with laboratory confirmation. Among 58,598 male patients, 32,613 (55.7%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 55.2–56.1) were circumcised. Male circumcision varied significantly by decade of birth (increasing between 1920 and 1950 and declining overall since the 1960's), race/ethnicity (Black: 62.2%, 95% CI 61.2–63.2, White: 60.0%, 95% CI 59.46–60.5, Asian Pacific Islander: 48.2%, 46.9–49.5 95% CI, and Hispanic: 42.2%, 95% CI 41.3–43.1), and sexual orientation (gay/bisexual: 73.0%, 95% CI 72.6–73.4; heterosexual: 66.0%, 65.5–66.5). Male circumcision may have been modestly protective against syphilis in HIV-uninfected heterosexual men (PR 0.92, 95% C.I. 0.83–1.02, P = 0.06).ConclusionsMale circumcision was common among men seeking STD services in San Francisco but has declined substantially in recent decades. Male circumcision rates differed by race/ethnicity and sexual orientation. Given recent studies suggesting the public health benefits of male circumcision, a reconsideration of national male circumcision policy is needed to respond to current trends.

Acceptability of Adult Male Circumcision for Sexually Transmitted Disease and HIV Prevention in Zimbabwe

Worldwide over 35 cross-sectional and prospective studies1–6 various ecologic analyses and investigations of biologic plausibility sexually transmitted infection (STI) epidemiology and a longitudinal study of HIV-discordant heterosexual couples have identified lack of male circumcision as a significant risk factor for HIV acquisition. (However some crosssectional studies have found no correlation and in a Rwandan study women who reported that their current partners were circumcised had an increased risk of HIV.) In the regions of east and southern Africa where heterosexually spread HIV epidemics are especially severe large populations of men are uncircumcised pointing to a possible prevention intervention. Previous studies in 6 sub-Saharan African countries have explored men’s and women’s awareness of the potential health benefits of male circumcision and men’s willingness to undergo adult circumcision. Currently pilot programs to introduce safe affordable circumcision as part of male reproductive health services are being implemented or are planned in Botswana Haiti Kenya South Africa and Zambia. (excerpt)