{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]],"date-time":"2026-09-20T17:04:39Z","timestamp":1789923879375,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,21]],"date-time":"2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742515200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) and\/or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome remains a significant global health issue, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Medical male circumcision (MMC) demonstrated effectiveness in decreasing the spread of HIV, more specifically through heterosexual contact with HIV-positive partners. Studies have shown a correlation between male circumcision and lower HIV prevalence, especially in regions where circumcision is a cultural practice. The purpose of the study was to determine the knowledge and attitudes of men utilising the MMC services regarding circumcision.\n\nMethods:\u00a0A cross-sectional study was conducted at a community health centre involving 164 male participants aged 18 years and above using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to determine means, frequencies and associations between knowledge and attitudes of men regarding male medical circumcision.\n\nResults:\u00a0The median age of men seeking MMC services was 30 years, with hygiene cited as the primary reason by 88.4% of them. In addition, a majority (92%) were mindful of the advantages of circumcision in terms of lowering the risk of sexually transmitted infections and penile cancer (90%).\n\nConclusion:\u00a0Hygiene emerged as the primary reason for seeking MMC, contrasting with other studies where cultural and religious factors were more common. Despite significant knowledge levels regarding MMC\u2019s health benefits, the overall attitudes towards the procedure were predominantly negative.\n\nContribution:\u00a0The study highlights a unique factor influencing the decision to undergo MMC in a community health setting and awareness of its health benefits.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/safp.v67i1.6010","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]],"date-time":"2025-04-03T09:18:38Z","timestamp":1743671918000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Men undergoing medical circumcision at a community health centre: Knowledge and attitudes"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"67","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-7374-1663","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Charles K.","family":"Baloyi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/003hsr719","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7767-2903","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"John V.","family":"Ndimande","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/003hsr719","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-1264-5751","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cila D.","family":"Kabongo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/003hsr719","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7689-6972","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jean Louis M.","family":"Yoko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/003hsr719","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1615-2618","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Beya","family":"Mpinda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/003hsr719","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kumah E, Boakye DS, Boateng R, Agyei E. 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S Afr J HIV Med. 2019;20(1):1\u20136. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/sajhivmed.v20i1.846","DOI":"10.4102\/sajhivmed.v20i1.846"},{"key":"ref15","unstructured":"Khumalo ID. Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of males with regard to medical male circumcision [masters dissertation]. Durban: Durban University of Technology; 2017."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ntshiqa T, Musekiwa A, Manesen R, et al. Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and acceptability of medical male circumcision among males in traditionally circumcising rural communities of Alfred Nzo District, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(23):7091. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph20237091","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph20237091"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nzamwita P, Biracyaza E. Factors associated with low uptake of voluntary medical male circumcision as HIV-prevention strategy among men aged 18\u201349 years from Nyanza district, Rwanda. HIV AIDS. 2021;13:377\u2013388. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2147\/HIV.S301045","DOI":"10.2147\/HIV.S301045"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hatzold K, Mavhu W, Jasi P, et al. Barriers and motivators to voluntary medical male circumcision uptake among different age groups of men in Zimbabwe: Results from a mixed methods study. PLoS One. 2014;9(5):e85051. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0085051","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0085051"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Marfatia Y, Mehta K, Jain A, Shah D, Baxi D. Male circumcision and sexually transmitted infections \u2013 An update. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2021;42(1):1. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/ijstd.ijstd_20_21","DOI":"10.4103\/ijstd.ijstd_20_21"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mwiinga K. Male circumcision in Lusaka, Zambia. 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Knowledge, perception, and practice of safe medical circumcision on HIV infection risk reduction among undergraduate students of a public university in Northern Uganda: A cross-sectional study. BioMed Res Int. 2024;2024:1\u201310. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1155\/2024\/1534139","DOI":"10.1155\/2024\/1534139"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Okhue SO, Mash RJ. Evaluation of factors associated with medical male circumcision in South Africa: A case-control study. Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2022;14(1):1\u20139. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/phcfm.v14i1.3500","DOI":"10.4102\/phcfm.v14i1.3500"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mugwanya KK, Baeten JM, Nakku-Joloba E, et al. Knowledge and attitudes about male circumcision for HIV-1 prevention among heterosexual HIV-1 serodiscordant partnerships in Kampala, Uganda. 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