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A Father-Son Example Inspires Trust in VMMC

A male motivator uses a booklet to talk to a group of men about family planning.

In the years Jock Bol has worked to increase men’s access to a highly effective HIV prevention procedure, he has often been asked a profoundly personal question, “Are you circumcised?” Others inquired if Bol would have his young son undergo medical circumcision, which has been shown to prevent the spread of HIV. He hasn’t been shy about answering “yes” to both questions.
Bol, a trained health care provider, is forthright about his own family’s health because he feels strongly that his experience can lead others to understand the impact of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in preventing HIV and to seek out the procedure for their own health.

Helping Couples Plan Their Families

A midwife pointing to a chart showing different types of family planning methods

As a physician in Burkina Faso, I have worked for more than 30 years to help ensure that the people of my country have access to the health care they need. I have often looked at the big picture—working to strengthen my country’s national policies on malaria, child survival, prevention of HIV/AIDS and family planning (FP). But I haven’t always looked closer to home.

Dying to Give Birth

For almost seven years in the 1980s, I lived on Mali’s Dogon Plateau. I was a Peace Corps volunteer focused on primary health care and spent most of my time with women. I learned about their joys, sorrows, dreams, struggles and, surprisingly, their great fear of childbirth.