Defining the Global Research and Programmatic Agenda and Priority Actions for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention.

Purpose Of Review: Since 2007, voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) programs have been associated with substantially reduced HIV incidence across 15 prioritized countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. Drawing on the programmatic experience of global VMMC leaders, this report reviews progress made in the first 15 years of the program, describes programmatic and research gaps, and presents considerations to maximize the impact of VMMC.

Recent Findings: Overall, key programmatic and research gaps include a lack of robust male circumcision coverage estimates due to limitations to the data and a lack of standardized approaches across programs; challenges enhancing VMMC uptake include difficulties reaching populations at higher risk for HIV infection and men 30 years and older; limitations to program and procedural quality and safety including variations in approaches used by programs; and lastly, sustainability with limited evidence-based practices.

Factors Beyond Compensation Associated with Uptake of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision in Zambia.

Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) provides partial protection against female-to-male transmission of HIV. The Maximizing the Impact of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision in Zambia (MAXZAM) project was a phased implementation of a demand generation strategy for VMMC through economic compensation. Previously published findings showed increased uptake of VMMC when compensation was provided.

Making voluntary medical male circumcision services sustainable: Findings from Kenya's pilot models, baseline and year 1.

Voluntary medical male circumcision is a crucial HIV prevention program for men in sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya is one of the first countries to achieve high population coverage and seek to transition the program to a more sustainable structure designed to maintain coverage while making all aspects of service provision domestically owned and implemented. Using pre-defined metrics, we created and evaluated three models of circumcision service delivery (static, mobile and mixed) to identify which had potential for sustaining high circumcision coverage among 10-14-year-olds group, a historically high-demand and accessible age group, at the lowest possible cost.

Toward a Systematic Approach to Generating Demand for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: Insights and Results From Field Studies.

By the end of 2014, an estimated 8.5 million men had undergone voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) for HIV prevention in 14 priority countries in eastern and southern Africa, representing more than 40% of the global target. However, demand, especially among men most at risk for HIV infection, remains a barrier to realizing the program's full scale and potential impact.