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Researchers identify shortcomings in medical male circumcision education
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Although male circumcision reduces the likelihood of contracting HIV through heterosexual sex by 60%, a focus on HIV prevention and sex education counseling for boys and young men is needed to continue the progress reducing new infections, researchers said.
Aaron A.R. Tobian, MD, PhD, an associate professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues aimed to identify the successes as well as the areas in need of improvement at voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) sites in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
“There were many inconsistencies among age groups when it came to counseling," Tobian said in a press release. "Incomplete information was given to younger males especially. This is a lost opportunity for HIV prevention."
In 2007, WHO recommended VMMC for countries with high HIV prevalence and low circumcision rates, leading to more than 14.5 million VMMC procedures, according to the press release. It is recommended for males undergoing the VMMC procedure to also receive HIV testing, HIV prevention counseling, screening/treatment for sexually transmitted infections and condom promotion, according to WHO guidelines.
At 12 VMMC sites, Tobian and colleagues surveyed 33 providers and 12 facility managers between June 2015 and September 2016. The researchers assessed the perceptions and limitations of the current training content for HIV prevention and sex education, as well as age-appropriate adolescent counseling.
Tobian and colleagues discovered that older adolescent males were more likely to receive HIV prevention and sex health education than younger males, although the information that was provided to them was inconsistent across sites and providers. According to the study, there is a lack of training for VMMC providers and facility managers regarding HIV prevention counseling and sexual health education for adolescents.
“These VMMC-related counseling experiences may be more effective in providing complete HIV prevention and care messaging if all adolescents are given age- and sexual experience-appropriate information during counseling sessions," researcher Lynn Van Lith, MPA, technical director for HIV programming at the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, said in the release. "This research shows that, while we are very successful at providing a positive circumcision experience, there is more we can do to set these young men on a path toward a healthy life free of HIV.” – by Marley Ghizzone
Disclosures: Tobian reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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