title: What Messages are Adolescent Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) Clients Getting and How? Findings From an Observational Study in Tanzania.
abstract: Uncircumcised adolescent males in sub-Saharan Africa are an important group to reach with voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) services due to high HIV burden occurring among this age group. Appropriateness of the content and delivery of sexual health and HIV prevention messages to adolescent VMMC clients has not been extensively described. A study was conducted in Tanzania to examine quality, delivery and content of messages provided to adolescent (aged 15-19) and adult (aged 20+) VMMC clients (n = 320). Results show that counseling of mixed age groups during group education lacked selected key messages, compared to more age-homogeneous groups. Additionally, adolescents received more comprehensive information in individual counseling compared to group education. We recommend that health care providers are provided with skills and job aides to assist them to segment VMMC clients by age; provide age-appropriate messages; and increase use of individual counseling as a means to communicate with adolescent clients.
authors: Jhpiego, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. dorica.boyee@jhpiego.org.
authors: Dorica
authors: D
authors: Boyee
authors: Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Erin
authors: E
authors: Peacock
authors: Jhpiego, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors: Marya
authors: M
authors: Plotkin
authors: Jhpiego, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors: Augustino
authors: A
authors: Hellar
authors: Jhpiego, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors: Hally
authors: H
authors: Mahler
authors: Jhpiego, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Edouard
authors: Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, National AIDS Control Program, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors: Renatus
authors: R
authors: Kisendi
authors: USAID, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors: Erick
authors: E
authors: Mlanga
authors: USAID, Washington, USA.
authors: Emmanuel
authors: E
authors: Njeuhmeli
authors: Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Andrinopoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002944:Circumcision, Male / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013636:Tanzania; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescent males; Counseling; HIV prevention; Sexual health; Voluntary medical male circumcision