BACKGROUND: Although male neonatal circumcision is routinely done in many parts of Africa for cultural reasons, little is known about the reasons for neonatal circumcisions in metropolitan settings. OBJECTIVES: To elucidate from mothers reasons and preferred methods for circumcising male children in Lagos. SETTING: Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. PATIENTS MATERIALS AND METHOD: One thousand and two consecutive mothers of male children were interviewed through a questionnaire-based survey to determine the reasons why their male children were circumcised and their preferred method. RESULTS: A thousand and two mothers were interviewed. One thousand, seven hundred and seventy five (1775) male children from these mothers, comprising 59.7% of the children and all of whom had been circumcised in Lagos were the subjects of this study. The Plastibell kit method was preferred by 415 mothers (41.5%) of mothers while the open surgical dissection method was employed in 15%. The Gomco method was only requested by 16 mothers (1.6%). Six hundred and six mothers (60.6%) mothers circumcised their children for traditional reasons while 20.8% believed it fulfilled their religious obligations. CONCLUSION: Most male children in Lagos were circumcised for traditional and religious reasons. The Plastibell kit is the method of choice for male circumcision among mothers in Lagos.
BACKGROUND: Although male neonatal circumcision is routinely done in many parts of Africa for cultural reasons, little is known about the reasons for neonatal circumcisions in metropolitan settings. OBJECTIVES: To elucidate from mothers reasons and preferred methods for circumcising male children in Lagos. SETTING: Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. PATIENTS MATERIALS AND METHOD: One thousand and two consecutive mothers of male children were interviewed through a questionnaire-based survey to determine the reasons why their male children were circumcised and their preferred method. RESULTS: A thousand and two mothers were interviewed. One thousand, seven hundred and seventy five (1775) male children from these mothers, comprising 59.7% of the children and all of whom had been circumcised in Lagos were the subjects of this study. The Plastibell kit method was preferred by 415 mothers (41.5%) of mothers while the open surgical dissection method was employed in 15%. The Gomco method was only requested by 16 mothers (1.6%). Six hundred and six mothers (60.6%) mothers circumcised their children for traditional reasons while 20.8% believed it fulfilled their religious obligations. CONCLUSION: Most male children in Lagos were circumcised for traditional and religious reasons. The Plastibell kit is the method of choice for male circumcision among mothers in Lagos.
Entities:
Keywords:
Cultural and religious reasons; JPlastibell device; Lagos; Maternal preferences; Neonatal circumcision methods; Nigeria
Authors: Paul K Drain; Daniel T Halperin; James P Hughes; Jeffrey D Klausner; Robert C Bailey Journal: BMC Infect Dis Date: 2006-11-30 Impact factor: 3.090