Abstract

There is currently little information on the acceptability of male circumcision in Uganda. This study investigated
the acceptability of male circumcision among mothers in the Kiryandongo district with male children. A crosssectional
survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 100 women attending a reproductive health clinic
at the outpatient department (OPD) waiting area in Kiryandongo district hospital in Uganda between February and
April 2018. Of the 100 invited eligible participants, the majority of women were Christians (78%), (18%) were
Muslims, and (4%) were Pentecostal. About 60% of respondents had at least attained primary education (28%) had
secondary education 9% had tertiary education and only 3% had no education at all. After women were informed
about the risks and benefits of male circumcision, the majority of women with uncircumcised children 81% said they
would definitely circumcise their children if the procedure were offered in a safe hospital setting, free of charge and
a smaller number (7%) said they would probably consider the procedure. Only (1%) said that they would definitely
probably not consider male circumcision, and (9%) were unsure. Since male circumcision has been found to decrease
the risk of HIV infection. Among men, it is important to determine its acceptability as a potential HIV prevention
strategy at even an early stage in Uganda. This study found male circumcision to be highly acceptable among a
broad range of mothers with male children in Kiryandongo district Uganda. Further studies of acceptability among
fathers and other populations are warranted.