Hyderabad: Sterilisation of men is not popular because of the belief that they lose strength and virility after vasectomy. Many men were put off by the use of the scalpel. Following this notion, a no-scalpel procedure has been introduced but the numbers have not improved.
The fact remains that male sterilisation is less painful and less complicated as compared to tubectomy that women undergo. Recovery in the case of men is quicker than it is in case of women.
A human rights study of 2014 showed that male sterilisation was a better option but in India health workers were not able to convince women that they must encourage their husbands to opt for the procedure.
Dr S. Kumar, who works in the public health centre, said that women were the first to protest when volunteers spoke of male sterilisation. “They consider the process of childbirth, rearing and sterilisation as their problem and not that of the man.”
Most healthcare workers in India are women and are trained to approach women. There are not enough men for the women and child programmes that makes approaching men a big problem.
Doctors said that the government used to hold tubectomy and vasectomy camps but began focusing only on women as few men turned up.
