RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Perspectives of Parents and Health Care Workers on Early Infant Male Circumcision Conducted Using Devices: Qualitative Findings From Harare, Zimbabwe
JF Global Health: Science and Practice
JO GLOB HEALTH SCI PRACT
FD Johns Hopkins University- Global Health. Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Communication Programs
SP S55
OP S67
DO 10.9745/GHSP-D-15-00200
VO 4
IS Supplement 1
A1 Mavhu, Webster
A1 Hatzold, Karin
A1 Ncube, Getrude
A1 Fernando, Shamiso
A1 Mangenah, Collin
A1 Chatora, Kumbirai
A1 Mugurungi, Owen
A1 Ticklay, Ismail
A1 Cowan, Frances M
YR 2016
UL http://www.ghspjournal.org/content/4/Supplement_1/S55.abstract
AB Parents who opted for early infant male circumcision (EIMC) and health care workers felt EIMC was a safe and acceptable procedure that would likely become more widely adopted over time. Barriers to EIMC uptake such as parental fears of harm and cultural beliefs are potentially surmountable with adequate education and support.Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recommend early infant male circumcision (EIMC) for prevention of HIV. Here, we present findings from a qualitative study in Zimbabwe that assessed parental and health care workers' perspectives of EIMC conducted using devices.Methods: This qualitative study was nested within a trial of EIMC devices. Between January and May 2013, we held 4 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 12 in-depth interviews with parents and 12 in-depth interviews with clinicians (7 trial clinicians and 5 non-trial clinicians). We also conducted 95 short telephone interviews with parents who had arranged to bring their sons for EIMC but then defaulted.Results: Parents who had adopted EIMC spoke of their initial anxieties about the procedure. Additionally, they commented on both the procedure and outcome. Parents who decided against EIMC cited fear of harm, specifically the infant's death, penile injury, and excessive pain. Misperceptions about male circumcision in general and EIMC specifically were a significant barrier to EIMC adoption and were prevalent among health care workers as well as parents. In particular, the findings suggest strong parental concerns about the fate of the discarded foreskin. Parents who chose EIMC for their newborn sons felt that the procedure was safe and expressed satisfaction with the outcome. For their part, health care workers largely thought that EIMC was safe and that the outcome was aesthetically pleasing. They also felt that it would be feasible to offer wide-scale EIMC for HIV prevention in the public sector; they recommended strategies to increase EIMC uptake, in addition to highlighting a few concerns.Conclusions: The qualitative study enables us to better understand parental and health care workers' perspectives of EIMC conducted using devices, especially their perspectives on EIMC safety, feasibility, acceptability, and barriers. These findings will be used to design demand-generation activities that support wider adoption of EIMC.