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Acceptability of male circumcision for the prevention of HIV/AIDS in the Dominican Republic
Presented by Maximo Brito (United States).
M. Brito1, H. Balbuena2, L. Caso2, R. Bailey3
1University of Illinois at Chicago, Section of Infectious Diseases, Chicago, United States, 2Secretaria de Salud Publica, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 3University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Chicago, United States
Background: The objective of this study was to assess the opinions and attitudes about MC, the acceptability of the procedure , the circumcision status , sexual practices, and history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among men 18 to 50 years of age in the Altagracia Province in the Dominican Republic.
Methods: A survey was administered to 368 men in 5 municipalities across the province. The questionnaire was divided in 3 sections: 1) background demographics, 2) male circumcision and 3) sexual health. Data were analyzed using SAS version 9.1.3. Descriptive statistics were generated for each of the variables corresponding to specific questions in the survey and contingency tables were constructed to calculate measures of association. Logistic regression analysis was performed .
Results: The sample consisted of 238 (65%) Dominican men and 130 (35%) Haitian immigrants. Almost all the men were uncircumcised (95%) and about half (52%) were single. Overall, Haitian men were more likely to agree to a circumcision than Dominicans (OR=1.89, 95%CI, 1.18-3.02). Similarly, younger men (18-30 year-old) were more agreeable to the procedure compared to their older (31-50 year-old) counterparts (OR=1.65, 95% CI, 1.02-2.66). After controlling for age, the difference between Dominicans and Haitians persisted (OR=1.83, 95 % CI 1.14-2.95). Participants who believed that circumcision improves hygiene and may reduce the risk of STIs, HIV or penile cancer were two to three times more likely to say that they would have the procedure if it was offered to them. The acceptability of circumcision increased considerably after an information session describing the benefits of the procedure.
Conclusions: We believe that rolling out circumcision services in the DR is feasible. An education program aimed at sexually active young males and mothers is essential to increase the acceptance of the procedure in the population.
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