Bhubaneswar: Health and family welfare department (H&FW) launched Vasectomy Fortnight Monday to promote male participation in birth control.
Health care expert opined that acceptance of male oriented contraceptive surgery is generally very low due to misconceptions and social taboos.
“Vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure, is the safest and most effective permanent birth control measure. The observance of Vasectomy Fortnight (November 28- December 4) is to revitalise male sterilisation and thereby its better acceptance in the community. So there is a need to popularise vasectomy method of family planning by creating awareness to dispel the myth and misconceptions regarding this method,” said H&FW special secretary Biswabhusan Pattnayak here.
According to experts, vasectomy is 100 per cent safe but accounts for only 0.3 per cent of all birth control surgeries worldwide due misconceptions while it is only 10.8 per cent in the state. According to official records, although the health department was expecting 22,000 surgeries in 2015-2016, it was able to conduct only 2,065 operations.
“This requires only 10 minutes. However, there are so many misconceptions about the safety aspect that we have decided to organise counselling programmes to spread awareness about this. We are also offering `2,000 to the beneficiaries,” said family welfare director Binod Kumar Mishra.
Post News Network
