Voluntary medical male circumcision for HIV prevention
key highlights on the progress of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) for HIV prevention
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Nearly 18.6 million cumulative male circumcisions for HIV prevention were performed between 2008 and 2017 in the 14 priority countries of East and Southern Africa (Fig. 1).
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WHO and UNAIDS based their 2007 recommendation for male circumcision as an additional HIV prevention intervention on consistent and compelling evidence from African studies. But in 2007 the actual acceptability of circumcision and feasibility of scaling up were unknown.
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By 2017, many obstacles were overcome. The annual number of VMMCs reached 4.04 million. When services were offered, men accepted and acted to benefit from a package of male circumcision services that also includes safer sex education, condom promotion and HIV testing.
