Table 2.

Themes and Categories Yielded From the Analysis.

Theme	Categories (Subthemes)
Accepted age of circumcision	Recommended age is 18 years and above; less than 18 years of age brings problems; small boys of11 and 12 years cannot tolerate the pain, they cry in the bush hut; age of 21 years is the best
Causes attributed to deaths and complications	Illegal traditional attendants bring drugs and alcohol into the initiation schools; initiates who refuse to take drugs and alcohol are punished; drugs are referred to as painkillers; initiates are beaten and tortured; women and girls visiting initiates in the circumcision hut attract evil spirits responsible for witchcraft; some parents are not doing rituals such as washing initiates with herbal medicine and slaughtering of goats; initiates are assaulted deliberately to teach them to endure pain.
Traditional male circumcision is preferred to medical male circumcision	Social acceptance; traditional circumcision ceremony; new men are appreciated in the community and at school; social recognition as a real man; after initiation, one obtains a status of leadership and responsibility; initiates get instructions about their culture, manhood values, human dignity, and good behavior; transition between boyhood and manhood; manhood values are inculcated by elders; respect, love, building one’s family; protecting women and children.
Acceptable community actions to prevent the problem	Traditional Circumcision Forum (TCF) model should be adopted; teaching very vigorously about manhood values; formal school sessions in the form of Life Orientation are requested; dagga should not be allowed in the initiation school; chiefs should go around checking and monitoring to avoid maltreatment, drugs, alcohol, and sicknesses in the initiation school; extension of circumcision holidays; this is our custom.