The vasectomy is the only permanent male sterilization method currently available, but it has long been considered a minor instrument in family planning. The procedure offers men a lifelong, effective form of permanent birth control and can lower the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia and HIV/AIDS. However, the procedure has traditionally commanded low client demand and minimal uptake in most LMICs due to misinformation, misunderstandings, and bias against it.
This may be changing, as anecdotal reports suggest that interest in vasectomies peaked shortly after the 2022 Supreme Court decision restricting abortion access. This increase was also evident in a recent analysis examining online search trends in the United States.
Vasectomy can be easily offered through community health centers, mobile health units, or private urology practices. In most cases, men can be offered the procedure within a few days of first asking for it. Vasectomy has been shown to be safe and highly effective, especially when performed by a skilled urologist using modern techniques. The Cochrane review of randomized trials comparing various methods of occlusion found that clips and fascial interposition resulted in the fewest failures, while transection and suture ligation had the highest number of failed attempts.
Policymakers and donors should allocate greater attention, priority, and funding to championing vasectomy and promoting wider method mix, constructive male engagement in FP, and gender equality by making this rights-based option available to more people. Programming efforts could include coordinating supply-side and demand-side interventions; promoting the 3-month immediate postpartum vasectomy period (a “fourth trimester”), when newly delivered mothers are most focused on their own recovery and couples tend to be most interested in limiting subsequent births; and employing a range of communication and outreach activities to reach clients with accurate information about this long-term effective, inexpensive, and convenient method.