COPE® FOR MALE CIRCUMCISION SERVICES - EngenderHealth

COPE for Male Circumcision Services
Clients’ Right to Privacy and Confidentiality
Clients have a right to privacy and confidentiality. This includes visual and auditory privacy
and confidentiality during counseling, physical examinations, and clinical procedures, as well
as in the staff’s handling of clients’ medical records and other personal information. Ensuring
the confidentiality of services is especially important at sites offering male circumcision (MC)
services (including MC counseling and the procedure), because a breach of this confidentiality
may lead to stigma, discrimination, and even violence against clients. Guaranteeing
confidentiality creates a foundation of trust between providers and clients. Only when clients
trust their provider not to disclose sensitive, personal information will they be able to share
information that may be critical to providing optimal care.
The group working on this guide should include staff who provide information or services
and those who are responsible for or handle client records, including receptionists,
data management personnel, gatekeepers, and guards.
If any of the following questions reveal a problem in your health care setting, or if you think
any questions need to be discussed further, write your comments on a flipchart in the
following format:
Problem Cause(s) Recommendations By Whom By When
If you are aware of a problem in your health care setting that is not addressed here, please list
it in “Other Issues That You Think Are Important,” at the end of this guide.
1. Are all services offered in a manner that is respectful, confidential, and private
2. Does your health care setting have written policies and procedures in place to protect
clients’ confidentiality
■ Are all staff aware of these policies
■ Do they follow them
3. Do staff sign an oath of confidentiality when they are hired
4. Where possible, does your health care setting have a process for maintaining the
confidentiality of the client’s reason for the visit
5. Are service site managers available to speak with clients should they feel that their
confidentiality has been breached
6. When counseling clients, do service providers remind clients that all services (including
counseling sessions and test results) will be kept confidential
7. Does your health care setting have private space available where clients’ physical
examinations, MC procedure, and counseling sessions cannot be observed or overheard by
others
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