World vasectomy-athon sees thousands sterilised

THOUSANDS of men around the world were to be sterilised yesterday, in what organisers dubbed a global “vasectomy-athon”, to encourage men to take a bigger role in family planning and combat resistance to the procedure.

Some 750 doctors in 25 countries were to perform the procedure on more than 3 000 volunteers to mark World Vasectomy Day, with many operations provided free.

“In helping to shoulder responsibility for family planning, men become heroes to their partners, to their families and to our future,” said event co-founder Jonathan Stack.

Meanwhile, a report from campaigners warned that efforts to get modern contraceptives to women in some of the world’s poorest countries were not on track, with millions fewer reached than had been hoped.

At a ceremony in a temple on the Indonesian island of Bali, the headquarters for World Vasectomy Day this year, the first six men to undergo the procedure were presented to an audience before being taken to mobile health clinics to be sterilised.

The men lay on an operating table in the clinics – buses fitted out with medical equipment – while doctors performed the quick procedure.

Vasectomies were also being carried out to mark the day in countries including India, and Spain.

About four in 10 pregnancies worldwide are unplanned and event organisers said family planning was still too often left to women, who are the ones who must deal with the consequences.

In many countries, less than 1% of men get vasectomies, despite the fact that it is safe and in the majority of cases has no effect on sex life.

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In Muslim-majority Indonesia, efforts to persuade men to get vasectomies have been hampered after the country’s top Islamic clerics several years ago declared the procedure was against Islamic law.

There has even been resistance from experts in sub-Saharan Africa, who have expressed concern that widespread use of vasectomy would lead to lower usage of condoms, and so higher HIV rates. — AFP