Perceived medical benefit, peer/partner influence and safety and cost to access the service: client motivators for voluntary seeking of medical male circumcision in Iganga District Eastern Uganda, a qualitative study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Although safe male circumcision (SMC) in Iganga district was launched in 2009 with a target of having 129,896 eligible males circumcised by 2012, only 35,000 (27%) of the anticipated target had been circumcised by mid 2012. This study explores motivators for accepting safe male circumcision from the perspective of the clients themselves, in a resource-poor setting of eastern Uganda where uptake of male circumcision is low in spite of the presumably high HIV awareness in the country. METHODS: In Iganga Uganda, we conducted seven key informant interviews with medical staff, twenty in-depth interviews and ten focus group discussions with clients who had accepted and undergone safe male circumcision (SMC). Content data analysis was done to identify recurrent themes. RESULTS: Motivators for uptake of SMC included: perceived medical benefit, peer/partner influence, sexual satisfaction, safety and cost to access the service. CONCLUSION: Since perceived medical benefit was a motivator for seeking SMC, it can be used in campaigns for increasing uptake of SMC through the local leaders, influential community and civic leaders and the mass media. Peer influence could also be used in advocacy campaigns for SMC expansion, especially using circumcised peers. There is also need to equip and accredit lower level health units and train low cadre staff to offer SMC without necessarily compromising sterility and safety as a way of reducing transport cost and making SMC affordable and accessible for the poor and rural clients.

Keywords

• motivators
• safe male circumcision