Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for Reducing HIV Incidence among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Abstract

The primary objective of this research project is to evaluate the protective efficacy, epidemiological and economic impacts of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) as an intervention strategy to reduce HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) population in China. Therefore, (1) we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the protective efficacy of the association between male circumcision and HIV infection among MSM with a series of sensitivity analyses. Our findings suggested a statistically significant protective efficacy of VMMC among MSM (aOR=0.93, 95%=0.88,0.99), especially among MSM with moderate risk profiles; (2) we employed a transmission model to assess the epidemiological impact of VMMC by projecting numbers of new HIV cases for the next decade among MSM in Beijing, China. Our model suggested even at 15% VMMC annual uptake rate, the reduction in new infection is substantial; and (3) we assessed the economic impact of VMMC program in China by a series of “budget-impact” analyses. The VMMC would be an effective and economic intervention strategy to curb the HIV epidemic in China.