Abstract
Assessing comprehension of key informed consent concepts among clients undergoing male circumcision during scale-up of services in Zambia and Swaziland (PDF)
Poster presentation at the 19th meeting of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research, Quebec City, 10-13 July
Friedland,Barbara A.; Apicella,Louis; Sheehy,Meredith; Schenk,Katie D.; Munjile,Kelvin; Adams,Alfred; Hewett,Paul C.
Publication date: 2011
Poster presentation given by Population Council researcher, Paul Hewett, at the 19th International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research in Quebec City, July 10-13. As part of an evaluation of the informed consent process for male circumcision (MC) at selected clinics in Zambia and Swaziland, Council researchers and partners assessed clients' comprehension of key MC concepts to improve, standardize and streamline consent procedures as service delivery was expanded. Only 67% of Zambian clients (71% adults, 57% adolescents) and 87% of Swazi clients (both adults and adolescents) correctly answered that there are risks involved in MC surgery. In both countries, significantly more adolescents than adults responded incorrectly to several specific questions.In Swaziland, significantly fewer adolescents (85%) than adults (96%) passed the test. Based on this data, researchers recommend that providers should emphasize potential risks of MC surgery to ensure that clients are fully informed before consenting and MC counseling protocols should be tailored for adolescents, who likely have less sexual experience than adults, and clients with lower levels of education.
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