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The Male Circumcision Consortium (MCC) works with the Government of Kenya and other partners to prevent HIV and save lives by expanding access to safe and voluntary male circumcision services.

The consortium was formed after definitive studies in three African countries identified male circumcision as an effective tool for HIV prevention. These clinical trials, conducted in Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda, showed that becoming circumcised reduces a man's risk of HIV infection through vaginal sex by about 60 percent.

Family Health International (FHI), the University of Chicago at Illinois, and EngenderHealth are partners in the Male Circumcision Consortium. The MCC is funded by a grant to FHI from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation from August 2007 to February 2013.

The Male Circumcision Consortium's objectives are to:

• Support the Government of Kenya and other partners in developing and implementing a national male circumcision strategy.
• Expand a male circumcision research and training center in western Kenya to train providers, build the capacity of health facilities, and monitor clinical outcomes.
• Identify and address any misunderstandings about male circumcision for HIV prevention.
• Conduct research to identify the safest, most effective ways to provide voluntary male circumcision as part of a comprehensive package of HIV prevention services.

The consortium's activities are primarily focused in western Kenya, but the knowledge it generates there will guide the government's national initiative on male circumcision. That knowledge may also inform other countries' approaches to male circumcision for HIV prevention.

Press Release: $18.5 Million Grant Makes Male Circumcision a Top-Tier HIV Prevention Strategy

MCC Brochure: Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention (PDF, 300 KB)