Observational Study of Male Circumcision Using PrePex Device

The World Health Organization, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and other global reproductive health organizations have recognized the protective effect of male circumcision in HIV acquisition. Male Circumcision (MC) is one of the few biomedical methods to demonstrate consistent effectiveness as an HIV prevention intervention in randomized controlled trials: three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa reported a protective effect up to 60% of circumcision against HIV infection. Subsequent studies have confirmed the value and persistence of MC's protection against HIV infection, and have demonstrated that MC also reduces the acquisition and transmission of human papillomavirus.

A wide variety of instruments, devices, and techniques are used around the world for male circumcision. In 2008, WHO, UNAIDS and JHPIEGO released a draft document entitled Manual for Male Circumcision under Local Anesthesia, which includes step-by-step instructions for performing adult male circumcision using three different surgical procedures: the forceps-guided, dorsal slit, and sleeve resection methods. Procedure times for these techniques are approximately 20-30 minutes excluding anesthesia, involve control of bleeding and considerable suturing, and can be associated with a variety of complications.

Yet the demand for MC even in non-circumcising communities is substantial when offered at no cost in a safe setting. Following Kenyan support of one of the key research studies demonstrating the preventive effectiveness of MC, the Kenyan Ministry of Health (MOH) began a national voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) program in 2008, based on a National Guidance document. MC activities in Kenya have been centered in Nyanza Province, where the prevalence of circumcision is about 50% compared to about 90% in the rest of the country. Based on WHO statistics, Kenya is the African country that has made the most progress in implementing large-scale MC activities: to date, there have been over 400,000 VMMC procedures in Kenya.

In the current African setting, only surgical circumcision is available for most adults. Recently, devices have been developed that have the potential to simplify and shorten both training time and surgical duration by eliminating the need for suturing and hemostasis as well as allow for task-shifting to lower level cadres of providers. Small-scale safety studies, RCTs, and field demonstration cohort studies are required before the safety, effectiveness, acceptability and feasibility of any device is assured.

This is a prospective observational study of the PrePex male circumcision device, which will be conducted with the aims of ascertaining important adverse events or unexpected side effects that may not have been observed in other studies. This study will be conducted within a routine service delivery system to identify potential issues that must be addressed as MC services are scaled up in a variety of Kenyan settings. PrePex circumcision procedures will be offered in VMMC services, part of the minimum package of HIV prevention services recommended by the Kenyan MOH, including HIV testing and counseling, exclusion of men with symptomatic sexually transmitted infection (STI) and provision of syndromic treatment as indicated, provision and promotion of condoms, and counseling on risk-reduction and safer sex.

This study is a prospective observational study of adult male circumcision procedures with PrePex in sites in Nyanza Province, Kenya. We will enroll a total of 425 men aged 18 to 49 who seek voluntary medical male circumcision. The first 50 men will undergo intensive follow-up with multiple follow-up visits, per secondary objective 2 above. The remaining 375 men will be scheduled for two follow-up visits at 7 and 42 days after PrePex placement, per standard practice in Kenyan MC service delivery.