VASECTOMY: A ZAMBIAN EXPERIENCE
...When a man takes family planning to another level
PEOPLE’S desire to have fewer children world over has reflected in the global population growth to eight billion in November 2022 from only seven billion a decade ago.
Even more interesting is that while it took 10 years for the global population to grow to eight billion from seven billion, it will now take twelve and a half years to add another one billion to make it nine billion in 2037.
This is because on average, women are now giving birth to only two children, compared to six in past years, a sign that people across the world are now planning smaller families, compared to their parents and grandparents who had six children on average, and in many cases, even more.
However, women still largely shoulder the responsibility of taking family planning pills or injectable, with the only known methods for men being vasectomy and condom use.
Vasectomy is defined as a surgical procedure that involves the cutting, closing, or blocking of the tube that carry sperm from the testicle to the urethra, and makes a man unable to impregnate his partner.
The Zambia Association for Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (ZAGO) says despite the perception that family planning is the responsibility of women; it would be prudent that men consider vasectomy as it is equally an effective one for men.
Some women may experience hormonal challenges that affect their health due to the use of family planning, a situation that may demand that men support their partners to live a quality life, and shift positions so that they themselves expose themselves to vasectomy.
Dr Musonda Makasa, a member of ZAGO has noted that vasectomy is not popular in Zambia and acceptability levels are still very low, despite it being offered for free in health facilities.
Dr Makasa says that with the maternal mortality rate in the country currently at 278 women dying per 100, 000 live births, alternatives in family planning should be embraced so that it is not only the women who are subjected to it.
On a weekly basis, about 10 women still die while giving birth across the country and these are worrying statistics.
Dr Makasa has explained that though vasectomy cannot be directly linked to being a solution to stop illegal abortions resulting in the death of some women, a couple who have had their preferred number of children could agree that a man undergoes the procedure, instead of subjecting the woman to continued family planning which has in some cases brought challenges for some women.
Dr Makasa says the vasectomy procedure is not complicated, is safe for men and it only takes a few weeks for one to heal.
I came across a rather interesting story about a man who has three wives and 12 children but underwent a vasectomy as he did not want to have any more children, despite pressure from one of his wives who only has daughters, and wanted to try until she had a son, just like the other wife.
Simon from Lusaka who preferred that only his first name be used says he did not want to trouble “God’s spirits” by having more children because he was not going to manage to look after them.
Simon says him not wanting to have more children was prompted by the fact that his first wife was already experiencing swelling on her legs, which was attributed to family planning.
He took the mantle as the head of the house and discussed with his wives his intentions to do a vasectomy.
He says he was encouraged by a relative abroad who had already undergone the procedure after having two children, a few years ago, and is living a perfectly healthy life and had a healthy marriage.
Simon said he loves his wives and could not bear seeing one of them suffering as a result of family planning despite changing methods twice.
“I did not want someone’s daughter to die on my account as her husband so I had to protect her life,” Simon said with a chuckle, “Though after we agreed that this should be done, I overhead my wives talking between themselves that I was going for vasectomy because I wanted to be promiscuous.”
“I knew I was hurting one of them because she still wanted to have a son but the other one was suffering because of family planning. I already have 12 children and who knows maybe this was God’s way of saying no more children for me,” he added.
Simon says the wife who wanted to have a son is okay with the current situation as she has accepted it.
Both wives however did not want to participate in the interview despite them being around.
However, there are still myths that vasectomy reduces sexual satisfaction for men, a misconception that urologists refute.
According to the Central European Journal Urology, vasectomy does not have a negative impact on the sexual satisfaction of the affected couples.
It says in fact, sexual satisfaction usually improves for the sterilised men, while the satisfaction of the women was not reduced by the vasectomy.
The World Vasectomy Day, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness on vasectomy and organising the events for the commemoration of the day says contrary to assertions that vasectomy is castration, causes pain and reduces sexual pleasure, the truth is actually the opposite.
World Vasectomy Day Head of Programmes in Africa Sheila Gibeya is concerned that the misinformation on vasectomy has created fear in many men, making mens’ limited involvement in family planning matters even worse.
Ms Gibeya says the organisation is using vasectomy to create awareness about the need for men to be involved in family planning methods being used by their partners, and the side effects they may be suffering.
She says the involvement of men in family planning is important because they are equally part of the family and should understand how family planning affects women.
Some married couples have agreed on going for vasectomy as a permanent solution to solve their challenge once a woman undergoes more than two caesarian sections.
There is definitely need for Zambia to push for awareness on vasectomy and rebuff the myths associated to it.