Myths and costs hinder SMC

Despite circumcising 2 million men and boys since 2010, Uganda has fallen short of its goals for safe male circumcision (SMC), Global Press Journal reports. The country’s policy, adopted in 2010, aimed to provide SMC services to 4.2 million men and boys ages 15 to 49 by 2016. Ugandans working on SMC who are quoted in the article attribute the shortfall to misconceptions about the procedure and reduced funding for SMC programmes. As funding has declined, programmes have begun to charge for SMC services; the article cites fees ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 shillings (US $2.66 to $13.30) and higher (Global Press Journal, 26 November 2018 ).