I came across a very interesting story recently in a gathering of people. Somebody who had been touring around recently narrated this story.

 She said that while travelling there, she talked to a taxi driver about population issues and contraception. She was surprised by a comment from the driver.

 He said that to limit his family size, he has secretly adopted, "muzungu magic”, without telling his wife. When asked about, "muzungu magic”, he described what he underwent -a vasectomy.

It was heartening to hear a man being motivated enough to undergo vasectomy on his own. Mostly the onus for child bearing and even contraception falls on the woman.

Though male contraception is much easy and comparatively safe, few men opt for it readily. Men form one half of the world’s population. Yet it is said that less than one third of them go for contraception.

Male ego is a big hindrance in the issue. A man being head of the family relegates all work of the house to the woman, including limiting the family size.

A woman is more motivated for contraception as she has to bear the pains of child birth and also bringing up a child. But men are rarely bothered.

Many myths and false beliefs also prevent men from adopting contraception.

Using a condom is the easiest method whereby a man can avoid impregnating his wife.  But many men do not like to use it as they think that it will reduce their sexual pleasure.  Some men argue that, a condom will ultimately burst open so what is the use?

These are sham ideas.  Condoms are in use for almost 400 years now and their quality had advanced since then. Mostly the condoms are made from latex, polyurethane or even lamb skin. They are tough, water proof and resistant to pressure. Only thing needed is that the user uses them correctly and does not reuse any condom.

As per studies, condom failure rate is about 2% and slipping rate about 1.3%. Imagine in 99% cases it does protect not only against unwanted pregnancy but also sexually transmitted diseases.

Another method which men can adopt for limiting their family size is to practice withdrawal technique. In this, a man is supposed to withdraw before ejaculation so that no semen can enter the vagina, during intercourse. Done with absolute determination and precision, this technique is successful. But if not, even a small amount or few drops of semen entering the vagina carries the risk of fertilizing the ovum and impregnating the partner.

Vasectomy is the most reliable method of contraception for men. In this, the tubes transporting sperms are cut, so there is absolutely no risk of pregnancy after that. In other simple words it can be said that it is a form of male sterilization. Many men dread it thinking that after this procedure, they will no longer remain, "man”, or lose their virility. But these are myths.

After vasectomy there is no reduction in sexual desire of a man, nor is his sexual performance impaired in any way. It is a very simple procedure and is completed in 30 minutes or so. The man can go home after the procedure. He can resume his normal work after a week or 10 days. This is in contrast to female sterilization or tubectomy, which needs a spinal anesthesia, is a longer procedure and associated with greater risks. Also the recovery time is longer for a woman after ligation of the tubes.

Thus one can see that all contraceptive methods for men carry few risks and are less cumbersome. So if men are considered head of families, they can also take up the responsibility of limiting their family size. Those who are sick or have some problem contraindicating surgery can be exceptions.

Ends