Health authorities in Davao City batted for vasectomy in men as an alternative to achieving ideal family size.
”This is also to unburden women ,” said Jeff Fuentes, Population Division Chief of the City Population Office during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw.
Vasectomy is a described as procedure whereby the highway of the sperm is removed and is not to be equated with castration. The procedure does not require the use a scalpel. Nor does it need a needle to deliver anesthesia.
“Men could still perform their activities,” explained Dr. Mike Ababon, District Health Officer of the City Health Office. He wanted to dispel the myth that having a vasectomy is equated to being “kapon” or impotent. He further explained that this procedure meant that men now have a choice to improve quality for their family, referring to cases where men could not provide his growing family.
It is also a better and cheaper option, according to Ababon, compared to female ligation since the latter includes arduous procedures and more expensive apparatus. The No Scalpel Vasectomy only needs simple supplies such as betadine, solution for the anesthesia, and a needleless device.
”The wound is only 1cm long,” said Ababon. He added that they only use a normal band aid to seal the wound and only less than 1% of blood compared to the blood in circumcision is lost.
”We cater to clients from white-collar jobs, blue-collar jobs, and farmers,” Ababon pointed out. Men from 20-50 years old could avail themselves of the free procedure every last Friday of the month.
“It’s not about the age but the agenda,” said Jeff Fuentes, Population Division Chief of the City Population Office.
He cited a case of a 22 year old man who decided to undergo vasectomy since he already has six children at his age.
Since 2008 to the present, the CHO had 558 clients for the vasectomy. Out of those 588, 2 are single men and 5 are foreigners since the vasectomy abroad costs more than $1000 U.S. dollars. The CHO has an average of 60 clients a year with 2009 having the highest number of clients with 74.
”The rates are fluctuating every year,” Ababon mentioned. He attributed this to the said myths affiliating vasectomy with impotence. However despite these myths, Davao City remains to be the only city in the Philippines to provide free vasectomy on a regular basis.
Dr. Mike Ababon himself would represent Davao in the first family planning summit on November 21-22 because of the city’s good practice of vasectomy.
The World Vasectomy day is on November 18, 2016.
