000			02959nam a22003377a 4500
003			OSt
005			20240305193745.0
008			221206b |||||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
022			_2BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. All rights reserved _aOnline: ISSN 2044-6055
022			_2BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. All rights reserved _aPrint: ISSN 2044-6055
028			_b Phone: +255 28 298 3384
028			_b Fax: +255 28 298 3386
028			_b Email: vc@bugando.ac.tz
028			_bWebsite: www.bugando.ac.tz
040			_bEnglish _cDLC
041			_aEnglish
100			_aJennifer A Downs _923034
245			_a‘The body we leave behind’: a qualitative study of obstacles and opportunities for increasing uptake of male circumcision among Tanzanian Christians
260			_aMwanza, Tanzania: _b British Medical Journal Publishing Group & _b Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences [CUHAS – Bugando] _c2013/1/1
300			_aPages e002802
490			_vBMJ open Volume 3 Issue 5
520			_aAbstract: Objectives: Male circumcision (MC) reduces HIV infection by approximately 60% among heterosexual men and is recommended by the WHO for HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa. In northwest Tanzania, over 60% of Muslims but less than 25% of Christian men are circumcised. We hypothesised that the decision to circumcise may be heavily influenced by religious identity and that specific religious beliefs may offer both obstacles and opportunities to increasing MC uptake, and conducted focus group discussions to explore reasons for low rates of MC among Christian church attenders in the region. Design: Qualitative study using focus group discussions and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Setting: Discussions took place at churches in both rural and urban areas of the Mwanza region of northwest Tanzania. Participants: We included 67 adult Christian churchgoers of both genders in a total of 10 single-gender focus groups. Results: Christians frequently reported perceiving MC as a Muslim practice, as a practice for the sexually promiscuous, or as unnecessary since they are taught to focus on ‘circumcision of the heart’. Only one person had ever heard MC discussed at church, but nearly all Christian parishioners were eager for their churches to address MC and felt that MC could be consistent with their faith. Conclusions: Christian religious beliefs among Tanzanian churchgoers provide both obstacles and opportunities for increasing uptake of MC. Since half of adults in sub-Saharan Africa identify themselves as Christians, addressing these issues is critical for MC efforts in this region.
700			_aLucas D Fuunay _946698
700			_aMary Fuunay _946699
700			_aMary Mbago _946700
700			_a Agrey Mwakisole _946543
700			_a Robert N Peck _922982
700			_aDavid J Downs _946538
856			_uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-002802
942			_2ddc _cVM
999			_c19926 _d19926