Effectiveness of an intervention to increase uptake of voluntary medical male circumcision among men with sexually transmitted infections in Malawi: a preinterventional and postinterventional study

Objective: To evaluate the effect a multistrategy demand-creation and linkage intervention on voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) uptake, time to VMMC and predictors of VMMC uptake among men with sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Design: Pragmatic preinterventional and postinterventional quasi-experimental study combined with a prospective observational design.

Setting: A public and specialised STI clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Population: Uncircumcised men who presented to the STI clinic.

Methods and intervention: The intervention consisted of transport reimbursement ('R'), intensified health education ('I') and short-messaging services/telephonic tracing ('Te'), abbreviated (RITe). A preintervention phase was conducted at baseline while RITe was rolled-out in the intervention phase in a sequential manner called implementation blocks: 'I' only-block 1; 'I+Te'-block 2 and RITe-block 3.

Main outcome measures: Primary: VMMC uptake and time to VMMC for the full intervention and for each block. Secondary: predictors of VMMC uptake.

Results: A total of 2230 uncircumcised men presented to the STI clinic. The mean age was 29 years (SD±9), 58% were married/cohabiting, HIV prevalence was 6.4% and 43% had urethral discharge. Compared with standard of care (8/514, 1.6%), uptake increased by 100% during the intervention period (55/1716, 3.2%) (p=0.048). 'I' (25/731, 113%, p=0.044) and RITe (17/477, 125%, p=0.044) significantly increased VMMC uptake. The median time to VMMC was shorter during the intervention period (6 days, IQR: 0, 13) compared with standard of care (15 days, IQR: 9, 18). There was no significant incremental effect on VMMC uptake and time to VMMC between blocks. Men with genital warts were 18 times more likely to receive VMMC (adjusted relative risk=18.74, 95% CI: 2.041 to 172.453).

Conclusions: Our intervention addressing barriers to VMMC improved VMMC uptake and time to VMMC among uncircumcised men with STIs, an important subpopulation for VMMC prioritisation.

Trial registration number: NCT04677374.