Medical professionals say it is far easier to sterilize men as opposed to women and that it does not lessen the sex drive in men.[break]
"Vasectomy that is conducted in men is much simpler than Minilap (female steriliazation),” Dr Silu Aryal, senior consultant obstetrician and gynecologist, said. "Male sterilization requires minor surgery, whereas in the case of female, the process is much lengthier."
According to the figures provided by SPN, a leading family planning and safe abortion service provider in the country, 95 percent sterilization in Tarai region is done on women. The office conducted 33,631 sterilizations across the country in 2011. Out of which 27,004, or 80 percent, sterilization was carried out in the Tarai region, of which only 5 percent, or 1,322, were done on males.
The record shows that 1,200 female underwent sterilization in Sunsari district whereas only 41 male received vasectomies last year. Likewise, 1,825 minilap surgeries were performed in Siraha where the figure for vasectomy stood at 12. In Sarlahi, 2,498 women were sterilized but the number of male who received vasectomy was only 27. In Spatari only one man has received the service, contrary to 1,580 women. Likewise, in Rupandehi, 557 women and 63 male were sterilized.
The SPN provided the service to 3,169 women in Parsa, but only 38 men received it. Similarly, 1,367 women were operated in Nawalparasi where only 132 men chose to go under the knife. In Morang 3,072 women and 63 men have received service. Only 23 men received the service in Mahottari, where 1,503 women received the service. In Kapilbastu, 12 men had been sterilized as opposed to 759 women.
In Jhapa, 1,622 women and 43 men were sterilized. In Dhanusha 14 men and 1,373 women received the service. Similarly in Kanchanpur 111 women and 14 men were sterilized.
Compared to the Tarai region, men of the hill and mountain regions were much more willing to undergo sterilization. The report shows that 71 percent of the total sterilizations in hills were done on men. The corresponding figure for men in the mountain region stood at 78 percent.
"Males in the hills and mountains are more positive towards family planning compared to their counterparts in the Tarai," Assistant Director of SPN said adding, "The Tarai men are still conservative and are reluctant to receive family planning services. They think of it as female business."
Sociologist Dr Chaitanya Mishra said that communities in the Tarai region are male dominated, which is one of the reasons why male do not participate in family planning.
Dr Mishra also said the influence of religion is stronger in Tarai which reflects in the family planning. "Men can marry twice but women cannot, so they do not want to sterilize,” he said, adding, "Compared to Tarai men, men in the hills and mountains are liberal."
Part of the problem, he said, was that public opinion makers and experts have failed to convey the message that sterilization on male is much easier than female.
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