Influences Impacting the Acceptance of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision among Medical Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital

Abstract

The primary objective of this investigation was to identify the determinants influencing the adoption of voluntary medical male circumcision services among bachelor’s male medical students at Kampala International University Teaching Hospital (KIU-TH). The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive design over a three-month period within Bushenyi District-Uganda, specifically at KIU-TH situated in Ishaka town. This hospital, a private institution, serves as a prominent teaching center for various medical programs. A sample of 372 bachelor’s male medical students participated in the study, responding to simple pretested semi-structured questionnaires. Analyzing the collected data via SPSS version 20 revealed 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 as Christians (78.2%), and held Ugandan nationality (79.6%). Notably, 38.7% of students reported being circumcised, with 68.1% undergoing voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). However, among uncircumcised individuals, only 25.0% expressed willingness to undergo VMMC. All participants demonstrated awareness and comprehension of VMMC, with 96.5% acknowledging its role in HIV prevention and 77.2% recognizing potential complications associated with VMMC. Regarding attitudes, 68.5% held positive views on VMMC, highlighting that pain during the procedure is manageable (40.6%) and recovery is relatively swift (72.8%). Despite this, the uptake of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision remained below national targets. While a majority exhibited favorable attitudes toward VMMC, a smaller fraction displayed willingness to engage in this procedure. The findings underscore the necessity for evidence-based health education initiatives and structured VMMC campaigns, specifically targeting medical students, to enhance the uptake of VMMC services. Keywords: Male circumcision, Healthcare providers, Male medical students, HIV, Health education.