Willingness of men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States to be circumcised as adults to reduce the risk of HIV infection

Abstract

Background: Circumsision reduces HIV acquisition among beterosexual men in Africa, but it is unclear if circumicision may reduce HIV acquisition among men who have sex with men (MSN) in the United States, or whether MSM would be willing to be circumcised if recommended. Methods: We interviewed presumed-HIV negative MSM at gay pride events in 2006. We asked uncircumcised respondents about willingness to be circumcised if it were proven to reduce risk of HIV among MSM and perveived barriers to circumcision, Multivariate logistic regression was used to indentify covariates associated with willingness to be circumcised Results: Of 780 MSM, 133 (17%) were uncircumcised. Of these, 71 (53%) were willing to be circumcised. Willingness was associated with black race (exact odds ratio [OR]: 3.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-9.8), non-injection drug use (OR:6.1, 95% CI:1.8-23.7) and perceived reduced risk of penile cancer (OR: 4.7, 95% Cl:2.0-11.9). The most commonly endorsed concerns about circumcision were post-surgical pain and wound infection. Conclusions: Over half of uncircumcised MSM, especially black MSM, expressed willingness to be circumcised. Perceived risks and benefits of circumcision should be a part of educational materials if circumcision is recommended for MSM in the United States.