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Abstract: Routine male circumcision (RMC) has been found effective in preventing HIV infection in Africa; at the same time, incidence of HIV infection has been rising in China. Hence, RMC may be a possible means by which Chinese nationals could address increasing HIV infection rates. A focus group study was conducted to explore perceptions of RMC among mainland Chinese nationals, the results indicated that 1) 90% of participants considered RMC to be an unfamiliar and culturally sensitive topic; 2) 80% felt that being uncircumcised had not created significant health drawbacks for them or males they knew; and 3) the group believed that RMC would not be a good strategy to address rising HIV rates and were dubious about the idea of mandated RMC in China. For Chinese nationals, cultural traditions regarding RMC appear to outweigh concerns about HIV infection.
Key Words: Routine Male Circumcision, American, Chinese, Immigration, HIV Infection, Prevention, Qualitative Research
The refuge and immigrant populations from the Arab world are rising due to the constant political, religious, and ethnic turbulence in several Arab countries. The U.S. Census Bureau (2009) reported that there are approximately 1,680,018 persons of Arab ancestry. Some of the Arabs relocated to the United States (U.S) seeking safety and stability. The Arab immigrants bring with them stressful experiences from their home country (Kulwicki, Khalifa, & Moore, 2008). Hence, they have become an important group requiring consideration for mental health services in the U.S. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a major concern for health care providers who work with this population (Al-Saffar, Borga, Edman & Hällström, 2003). This is especially true due to the exposure to traumatic events such as war, loss of family members, torture, or accidents of most Arab immigrants in their native countries (Kira, Clifford, Wiencek, & Al-Haidar 2001a; Kira 2002).
Despite the large Arab American population, little is understood about PTSD among Arab American women. Understanding the mental health needs of immigrant women is a critical step toward developing appropriate health services for this population. Studies have emphasized the mental health outcomes of anxiety and depression of immigrants experiencing traumatic experiences (Keller, Lnewa, Rosenfeld, Sachs, Aladjem, Cohen, Smith, & Porterfield, 2006). Also, the experience of relocation in the host country and separation from family and...