Publications

The primary objective of this investigation was to identify the determinants influencing theadoption of voluntary medical male circumcision services among bachelor’s male medicalstudents at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital (KIU-TH). The studyemployed a cross-sectional descriptive design over a three-month period within BushenyiDistrict-Uganda, specifically at KIU-TH situated in Ishaka town. This hospital, a privateinstitution, serves as a prominent teaching center for various medical programs. A sampleof 372 bachelor’s male medical students participated in the study, responding to simplepretested semi-structured questionnaires. Analyzing the collected data via SPSS version 20revealed a mean age of 28±5.504 years, ranging from 19 to 50 years. Predominantly,participants were in their 4th year of study (47.1%), unmarried (76.1%), identified asChristians (78.2%), and held Ugandan nationality (79.6%). Notably, 38.7% of studentsreported being circumcised, with 68.1% undergoing voluntary medical male circumcision(VMMC). However, among uncircumcised individuals, only 25.0% expressed willingness toundergo VMMC. All participants demonstrated awareness and comprehension of VMMC,with 96.5% acknowledging its role in HIV prevention and 77.2% recognizing potentialcomplications associated with VMMC. Regarding attitudes, 68.5% held positive views onVMMC, highlighting that pain during the procedure is manageable (40.6%) and recovery isrelatively swift (72.8%). Despite this, the uptake of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcisionremained below national targets. While a majority exhibited favorable attitudes towardVMMC, a smaller fraction displayed willingness to engage in this procedure. The findingsunderscore the necessity for evidence-based health education initiatives and structuredVMMC campaigns, specifically targeting medical students, to enhance the uptake of VMMCservices.Keywords: Male circumcision, Healthcare providers, Male medical students, HIV, Healtheducation.