"What does HIV prevention mean to you? Write it on your hand, take a photo or video, and share it."
In a campaign leading up to World AIDS Day 2016, UNAIDS explored nine aspects of HIV prevention — including voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) — and encouraged people to express their views on what needs to be done to strengthen prevention efforts.
VMMC for HIV prevention stands out as a rare public health intervention that has succeeded in reaching men and boys. By the end of 2015, more than 11.7 million men and boys had chosen to become medically circumcised in 14 priority countries in eastern and southern Africa; by the end of 2016, that number was projected to reach 14 million. A report from the World Health Organization and UNAIDS outlines the strategic directions for continuing to scale up VMMC through a comprehensive, people-centered approach to health service delivery for men and boys.
Much has been learned about why men decide to get circumcised, but until recently those reasons and how men’s beliefs about VMMC influence their decisions had not been systematically mapped. An article describes how market research is helping VMMC programmes in Zambia and Zimbabwe tailor their messages and communicate more effectively with prospective clients.