In 2010 – 50 years after women were introduced to the oral contraceptive pill – there is still no effective reversible contraceptive option available for men.
A woman who wants to stop having children, either temporarily or permanently, can choose from taking the contraceptive pill, having a monthly hormone injection, having a thin hormone-impregnated plastic rod surgically implanted under the skin of her arm, having a small plastic "coil" (IntraUterine Contraceptive Device or IUCD) inserted into the womb, or having a permanent sterilistaiton operation.
Men, however, do not have such a wide choice. Although there has been some talk of a male pill and a contraceptive injection for men, neither of these contraceptive techniques is available outside the research laboratories. Today, the only options available for a man who wants to use contraception are to either use condoms or to have a vasectomy.
Vasectomy Operation for Men
Vasectomy remains the most common method of limiting family size. In Australia, for example, a quarter of men over the age of 40 have had the operation. The procedure involves surgery, almost always under a local anaesthetic, to divide the two tubes called the Vasa deferentia, that transmit sperm from the testicles to the penis. One drawback of this operation is that a lot of men are under the impression that having the operation will result in reducing their levels of male hormones or some form of erectile dysfunction that will affect their sexual performance. A 2006 study that surveyed a sample of 1000 Australian men found that 24% of the men surveyed believed that having a vasectomy is "really painful."
The study, Australian Men’s Attitudes to Contraception and Vasectomy, was conducted by Quantum Market Research and also found that despite vasectomy being a safe, simple and effective contraceptive option for men who have completed their families, there are still a number of misconceptions surrounding the procedure.
Vasectomy Heroes Campaign
In order to dispel some of the misconceptions that men in the community may have about vasectomy and to encourage men who may want to limit the size of their family to consider the operation as a viable option, Marie Stopes International earlier this year launched an innovative campaign Vasectomy Heroes.
The campaign utilises the real life stories of three men – Andrew, Darren and Matt – who frankly discuss their own vasectomies. By accessing this webpage, men can view videos of the three men talking about their experience of the operation. Viewers can then access an online chat service through which they can ask questions about the operation and seek more information, obtaining expert answers to their questions without having to disclose their identity.
Safety of Vasectomy
If you are wondering what vasectomy is all about, have a look at the Vasectomy Heroes webpage. It could well dispel your myths about what is really a safe, effective, and relatively painless, procedure.
Sanjiva Wijesinha - Dr. Sanjiva Wijesinha, Associate Professor at Monash University medical school, writes on health, travel and medical topics.
