Prevalence and acceptability of male circumcision among young men in South Africa

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence and acceptability of male circumcision among young men in four of nine provinces in South Africa. As part of a cross-sectional population-based household survey, 1619 men aged 18-24 completed confidential interviews. The results indicate an overall prevalence of self-reported male circumcision of 39.1% (15.3% traditional and 23.8% medical male circumcision). In the multivariate analysis, being HIV negative and having extensive social network resources were associated with male circumcision status, and knowledge of the protective effect of male circumcision against HIV, partner risk-reduction self-efficacy, extensive social network resources and having had an early sexual debut were associated with the acceptability of male circumcision. Male circumcision is common, and the acceptability is high. Factors associated with the acceptability of male circumcision can be used to scale-up the demand for medical male circumcision services.