More and more Kenyan men are embracing vasectomy as a family planning method - a survey has shown.
The Economic Survey Report 2023 released on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, shows that the number of men who underwent vasectomy in 2022 has more than doubled compared to 2021.
According to the report, 557 men underwent vasectomy in 2022 compared to 248 who underwent the procedure in 2021.
Data shows an upward trajectory in the uptake of vasectomy among Kenyan men in the past five years.
The number of men who underwent vasectomy has been on the increase since 2018 with an exception in 2020 when there was the outbreak of the Covid-19 global pandemic that caused the shutdown of many services as medics struggled to control the virus.
334 men underwent vasectomy in 2020 at the height of the Coronavirus outbreak, compared with 658 in 2019 and 646 in 2018.
Misconceptions
Even though the number of men undergoing vasectomy is on the rise, it is still negligible compared to the population size of men in Kenya.
There are several misconceptions and taboos among African men when it comes to vasectomy.
Some men think it is castration, while others think it is a painful and libido-killing procedure.
A vasectomy is a form of male birth control that cuts the supply of sperm to semen. It's done by cutting and sealing the tubes that carry sperm.
Despite the fears of going under the knife for male sterilisation, vasectomy has a low risk of problems and can usually be performed in an outpatient setting under local anaesthesia.
The surgical procedure is one of the most effective male birth control methods. Vasectomy is also an inexpensive procedure.
