The Hindu : Steps being taken to popularise no-scalpel vasectomy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 07, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Steps being taken to popularise no-scalpel vasectomy

By Our Staff Reporter

Bangalore Dec. 6. Men are normally unwilling to go in for vasectomy. But quite a few have volunteered to undergo the procedure in Bangalore Urban district.

The Deputy Commissioner, G.S. Narayana Swamy, told presspersons here today that 32 men had undergone "no-scalpel vasectomy" at a camp organised on November 28. Usually it was women who opted for sterilisation, but the health officers and the other staff entrusted with the work succeeded in convincing men that they would not face any problem after the procedure. No-scalpel vasectomy is an advanced procedure which can be completed in less than 10 minutes and the man can go home the same day. The procedure involves a single incision for which sutures are not required.

Allaying the fears that men would become impotent after undergoing the procedure, Krishna Murthy, a doctor at the Krishnarajapuram hospital, clarified that it would not affect sexual performance. A man who underwent the vasectomy would continue to produce the same quantity of semen, but it would not contain spermatozoa.

The Deputy Commissioner said that Jagadish, a retired doctor, was training doctors and paramedical staff in popularising no-scalpel vasectomy. Farook (46) of Vijainapur, a tailor, Shaik Nasruddin of Nagawara, a cobbler, Rajan of Bagalur, Kumar of Makali village, Krishna, and Suresh, who were present at the press conference and all of whom had two children each, were happy that they had undergone no-scalpel vasectomy.

While Kumar said that he underwent the procedure because his wife had a heart problem, the other men said that they volunteered to do so despite some opposition from their relatives and neighbours.

Encouraged by the acceptance of the procedure, Mr. Narayana Swamy said that the efforts would be continued. The Chief Executive Officer, Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat, S. Puttaswamy, said that 700 men had been counselled to undergo the procedure, of whom 100 had been expected to do so. But even though only 32 had volunteered, it was a considerable achievement.

Pulse polio

Mr. Narayana Swamy, who attended a preparatory meeting for the annual pulse polio programme, said it would be held in five taluks of the district on January 4 and February 22. On these two days, 3,16,000 children aged between zero and five years would be covered. After that doctors and paramedical staff, would fan out to administer vaccine to children left out of the programme.

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Steps being taken to popularise no-scalpel vasectomy