Bophelo Pele Male Circumcision Research
Latest News:
Names of people in picture from left: Bill Gates, Prof Bertran Auvert (INSERM), Dr Dirk Taljaard (Progressus), Cynthia Nhlapo (FHI).
Progressus was honoured in December 2009 with a visit from Bill Gates and senior Gates officials from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation when they visited the Bophele Pele Centre in Orange Farm. Not only congratulated Bill Gates the work that is done here, but mentions Dirk and the work of the Bophele Pele Centre in the Annual Gates Newsletter (Page 7)
Quantitative studies:
- A Cross sectional survey was done at baseline at the end of 2007.
- This survey was done in the general population in Orange Farm
- A representative sample of 1,680 household was included. All men and women between 15 and 49 years of age were asked to attend an interview and volunteer for biomedical testing at an interviewing centre.
- Face to face interviews assessing the knowledge, attitudes, practises and behaviour patterns were done with all participants using a structure interview
- Blood samples were collected from participants and tested for HIV, HSV-2, Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia
- Circumcision status was assessed by genital examination performed by a male nurse
- Safe and free circumcision with counselling and VCT were then offered to men reporting themselves as uncircumcised willing to be circumcised.
Qualitative studies:
- Focus groups discussion were conducted in Orange Farm with different groups of participants.
- These groups included young men, recently circumcised by the Bophelo Pele Male circumcision centre, Uncircumcised young men, young women and parents of young men, circumcised and not.
Some interesting Findings:
Circumcision status
The process of the data collection was described to men during their consent to participate in the survey, including explaining that they will undergo a physical examination after the interview. Men were asked during the interview if they were circumcised. 30 of men indicated that they were circumcised, of these men 45% (150/333) still had an intact foreskin.
Men with an intact foreskin among those who said that they are “uncircumcised” was 99.6% (861/864)
Some possible explanation for this confusion:
- Circumcision is often not separated from initiation.
- Some men might have attended an initiation but not have been circumcised.
- There is confusion in terminology, meanings of words in local languages are not always clear.
- In this community men are proud to be circumcised and this there is over reporting.