Acceptability of Infant Male Circumcision as Part of HIV Prevention and Male Reproductive Health Efforts in Gaborone, Botswana, and Surrounding Areas

Abstract

Correspondence to: Rebeca M. Plank, rplank@partners.org. Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult male circumcision reduces a man's risk for heterosexual HIV acquisition. Infant circumcision is safer, easier and less costly but not widespread in southern Africa. Questionnaires were administered to sixty mothers of newborn boys in Botswana: 92% responded they would circumcise if the procedure were available in a clinical setting, primarily to prevent future HIV infection, and 85% stated the infant's father must participate in the decision. Neonatal male circumcision appears to be acceptable in Botswana and deserves urgent attention in resource-limited regions with high HIV prevalence, with the aim to expand services in safe, culturally acceptable and sustainable ways. NIH Public Access

Factors Associated with Preference for Early Infant Male Circumcision Among a Representative Sample of Parents in Homa Bay County, Western Kenya

“…Previous acceptability studies have indicated several common barriers to EIMC services in east and Southern Africa including: fear of pain, bleeding, death and other adverse events associated with the procedure, and cultural opposition to EIMC ( Ref 17]. The most frequent facilitators reported are parental belief in protection from HIV and STI acquisition and improved hygiene ( Ref 15,18,19]. Limitations of acceptability studies published to date include: small sample size, data collection when adult MMC programs were nascent, only mothers included, and convenience sampling.…”

The Proportion of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients in Circumcised and Uncircumcised Men with Unsafe Sexual Practices in Special Care Center in General Hospital Center Haji Adam Malik Hospital Medan

“…Table 1 showed that the highest percentage of HIV infection was found in 31-40 years old group (43.5%), in which this age group is in their productive age, while the lowest percentage was found in 51-60 years old group (3.5%). Plank et al, (2010) indicated that the highest HIV infection was in the 15-49 years old group and they were heterosexuals ranged from 50% to 75%. Study conducted in Botswana, Africa showed that only 15% men had neonatal circumcision.…”

“…World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 1999, there will be 340 million new cases of sexual transmitted infections every year (Katz and Wright, 2008;Plank, 2010). HIV is transmitted by several ways, such as horizontally by sexual practice and infected blood or vertically, which is from infected mothers to their babies (Plank, 2010;Roloff et al, 2011).…”

“…This can increase the incidence of sexual transmitted infections in the community (Plank, 2010;Kurt et al, 2011;Sancez et al, 2011).…”

“…HIV infection is classified into sexual transmitted infections because it is transmitted mostly by sexual practice (95%) (Plank, 2010;Roloff et al, 2011). The risk will be higher in unsafe sexual practices such as having multiple sexual partners and not using protections such as condoms (Roloff et al, 2011;Brewer et al, 2007;Serwadda 2012;Wanner, 2009).…”