A Male Circumcision Service at the University Teaching Hospital as a strategy to reduce HIV transmission in Lusaka

Abstract

The University Teaching Hospital Urology unit has been running a male circumcision and reproductive health service for almost 2 years. This is the only dedicated service site for Male Circumcision in the region. This service was started because of the increasing evidence of the medical benefits of male circumcision as well as the lack of specific male reproductive health services in the health services in Zambia. Since the clinics inception in August 2004, one randbmized control trial in South Africa has reported that male circumcision can reduce HIV transmission by up to 75%. This has increased the importance of male circumcision service as a potential strategy in HIV prevention. The male circumcision service site has conducted 800 circumcisions with less than 5% complication rate. Two clinical officers perform the majority of circumcisions. This service is a prototype for male reproductive health as a primary health services in sub-Saharan Africa. The sites meet 20% of the immediate demand for this service. Greater demand is expected with the reporting of 2 more randomized control trials. In anticipation of this a national scale up of male circumcision services is proposed.