Sexual satisfaction of women partners of circumcised men in a randomized trial of male circumcision in Rakai, Uganda.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of adult medical male circumcision on female sexual satisfaction.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We investigated self-reported sexual satisfaction among 455 women partners of men circumcised in a randomized trial of male circumcision for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus in Rakai, Uganda. Women aged 15-49 years were interviewed about their sexual satisfaction before and after their partners were circumcised. We analysed female-reported changes in sexual satisfaction using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS: Only 2.9% (13/455) of women reported less sexual satisfaction after their partners were circumcised; 57.3% (255/455) reported no change in sexual satisfaction and 39.8% (177/455) reported an improvement in sexual satisfaction after their partner's circumcision. There were no statistically significant differences in sexual satisfaction before and after partner's circumcision by age, religion and education status.

CONCLUSION: The overwhelming majority of women (97.1%) report either no change or improved sexual satisfaction after their male partner was circumcised. These findings suggest that male circumcision has no deleterious effect on female sexual satisfaction.