Abstract

Uganda Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2016 asserted that only 26% of adult males
in Uganda were circumcised and HIV prevalence among uncircumcised males was higher (6.7%)
than in circumcised males (4.5%). Safe male circumcision could reduce the risk of new infections of
HIV among males by 60%. A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study among males involved
44 males aged 10-49 that were selected through a convenient sampling method focused on
knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards safe male circumcision among males 10-49 years
attending Ishaka Adventist Hospital in Ishaka-bushenyi municipality. Most males were
Banyankole single aged 10-19(36.9%), with low formal education (54.4%) primary and (11.3%)
none. 100% had heard about SMC, from radios (56.8%) and few from health workers (11.4%). They
knew SMC for increasing sexual pleasure and avoiding other STIs but not HIV. 68.2% did not
know where they could get SMC services from. Males agreed (65.5%) strongly agreed (31.8%) that
Post SMC wounds take long to heal, while 43.3 and 36.6 agreed and strongly agreed that
circumcised males perform better sexually. The majority of males were comfortable with local
anesthesia (79.5%), whereas stitching and bandaging were opposed (29.5%) and (36.3%). 20.4% of
males were circumcised, the Majority of having been circumcised below 10 years (44.4%) by
majorly religious leaders (55.5%). Those circumcised receive pain management (66.6%) education
on wound care (55.5%) and STIs screening (22.2%) while HIV screening by only 11.1%. There is
considerably low knowledge of SMC and those that know about SMC know it for other purposes
like sexual pleasure and sexual performance but not HIV prevention, while envy a few that know
about SMC do not know where they can access SMC services from. Negative attitudes are basically
on wound healing they fear that long and HIV risk reduction that they disagree with. While
stitching and bandaging post-SMC wounds were opposed, local anesthesia and pain management
had strong support for males. The government move of the SMC campaign for all males has low
support from males 10-49 years it targets from the ground. While those that are circumcised do it
at younger age < than 10 for other reasons mostly religious than HIV control