Article Sidebar
Article Details
Issue
Section
Articles
It is condition of in the journal that the authors assign copyright to the "Medical Journal of Zambia". To this effect all accompanying letters must contain the following statement: “The authors being the sole and legitimate holder of the copyright hereby transfer it to the Medical Journal of Zambia.
Main Article Content
Perceptions and Beliefs of University and College Students Towards Male Circumcision in Lusaka
Abstract
Background: Data from a range of observational epidemiological studies, conducted since the mid 1980s, showed that circumcised men have a lower prevalence of HIV than those who are uncircumcised. Furthermore recent randomized controlled trials conducted in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa have presented a myriad of data pointing to a 60 – 70% protection against HIV transmission. This evidence supports the notion that there are substantial health benefits from scaling-up male circumcision in Zambia, due to the country's high HIV prevalence and low rates of male circumcision.
Study Objective: To gain insights into the perceptions and beliefs about Male circumcision among University and college students in Lusaka, Zambia. The study was purely qualitative, was conducted with an iterative approach.
Results: Manifest content of the study findings suggests that there is a remarkable and consistent trend in the way that Medical Male Circumcision is perceived amongst college and university student. They present virtually
universal knowledge about the procedure, its practice, where it should be conducted, the facts about circumcision and what the prevailing untruths are about the procedure. The female respondents approve of male circumcision for males of all ages. They were quite conservative in their speech where to express themselves adequately they would have to be coerced for example, into explicitly referring to the male sex organ as a penis.
Conclusions: The results from this particular study suggest that most young male adults are willing to go for circumcision and for the correct reasons as stipulated in the clearing house on “Basic facts about Circumcision”. In their opinion the main aspect which may limit scale up
of circumcision would be lack of services as near to the prospective clients as possible and lack of sufficient information about male circumcision in various sections of society. The female students have grasped the opportunity and have become partners in their counterpart's health seeking behavior. They are aware that there are indirect benefits for them when their male partners have undergone circumcision
Study Objective: To gain insights into the perceptions and beliefs about Male circumcision among University and college students in Lusaka, Zambia. The study was purely qualitative, was conducted with an iterative approach.
Results: Manifest content of the study findings suggests that there is a remarkable and consistent trend in the way that Medical Male Circumcision is perceived amongst college and university student. They present virtually
universal knowledge about the procedure, its practice, where it should be conducted, the facts about circumcision and what the prevailing untruths are about the procedure. The female respondents approve of male circumcision for males of all ages. They were quite conservative in their speech where to express themselves adequately they would have to be coerced for example, into explicitly referring to the male sex organ as a penis.
Conclusions: The results from this particular study suggest that most young male adults are willing to go for circumcision and for the correct reasons as stipulated in the clearing house on “Basic facts about Circumcision”. In their opinion the main aspect which may limit scale up
of circumcision would be lack of services as near to the prospective clients as possible and lack of sufficient information about male circumcision in various sections of society. The female students have grasped the opportunity and have become partners in their counterpart's health seeking behavior. They are aware that there are indirect benefits for them when their male partners have undergone circumcision
