Circumcision, Information, and HIV Prevention

Rebecca L. Thornton, University of Michigan
Alister Munthali, University of Malawi
Susan Godlonton, University of Michigan

Despite that fact that male circumcision may be an important HIV prevention strategy, many countries have been slow at adopting or promoting male circumcision as a core HIV prevention strategy. One concern is that circumcised men may engage in riskier sex after learning that they are less at risk. Among a sample of 896 circumcised and 320 un-circumcised rural Malawian men, we randomly disseminated the information about HIV transmission risk and male circumcision. We then sold condoms to measure the demand for safe sex in response to learning the new information. One year later, we returned to interview the same men and again sell condoms. We report the responses by treatment arm.