Bangalore men still wary of sterilization

Sabamma, 20, underwent sterilization upon her husband's insistence, just like thousands of other women in Karnataka.

By Krithika.B.K

BANGALORE (Dec. 8)—There have been no sterilizations of men conducted at Vani Vilas Hospital for the past three years, while over 2,800 women have been sterilized in the same period.

According to the National Rural Health Mission, between 2006 and 2010 a little over 14,000 men in Karnataka had a vasectomy, male sterilization, compared with over 1.2 million women that had a tubectomy, female sterilization.

Little awareness about male sterilization

The staff at Vani Vilas hospital believe the discrepancy arises from a lack of awareness about male sterilization.

“When the public is not aware, how will they know about the NSV [no scalpel vasectomy] camps?” said Madhusudan, chief medical officer of Vani Vilas Hospital.  “The postoperative procedure should be told to them. Else how will they have confidence in undergoing the surgery?”

Shashikala is undergoing a tubectomy at the Family Planning Association at the behest of her husband.
“She is OK with it. Her husband said he can’t do it and asked her to do it,” said her mother-in-law, Lourde Mary, as Shashikala was being prepared for the operation.

Efforts to make male sterilization attractive failing

The sterilization of men is much safer and the Indian government’s National Rural Health Mission compensation for men is Rs. 1,100 as opposed to Rs. 600 for women for Below Poverty Line families. In addition, people whose jobs are to motivate men to get the procedure get paid Rs. 50 more than those who do the same for women.

“Due to the fact that we’re a traditional society, the men tend to believe that if they go for the surgery it may bring down their status,” said Christopher Hoskins, a sociology professor at St. Joseph’s College in Bangalore.

Female sterilization more dangerous

The normal procedure for female sterilization requires bed rest for at least a week, while men recuperate in 36 hours. The procedure is invasive for women, while the men undergo a non-invasive procedure, according to Sumitra, a doctor at the Family Planning Association of India.

Women also face the risk of an ectopic pregnancy after tubectomy, in which a fertilized egg may be impregnated in the far end of a Fallopian tube, leading to the rupture of the tube.

The rate of ectopic pregnancy following tubectomy failure is 5.3 percent according to a National Center for Biotechnology Information report titled “Risk of ectopic pregnancy following tubectomy,” by R. Bhatnagar.

These statistics apply to cases where women have intercourse four days before undergoing sterilization.

According to authorities at the Family Planning Association of India, Bangalore, men are not interested in the process of family planning.

“Whenever we have a program for women, men don’t participate; when we have a program exclusively for men, they still do not participate,” said Rekha, branch manager of the Family Planning Association of India, Bangalore. “[Men believe] bearing the child, rearing the child—everything—is the woman’s responsibility.”

This NGO has had an average of 15 vasectomies every year over the last three years, which she thinks is an achievement in itself.

Female sterilization ‘could reduce prostitution’

Despite the risks involved, female sterilization still receives support, in some cases for issues unrelated to family planning.
“Most of the documents show that when women are in the profession of prostitution, their daughters are also into it,” said Soumya, a sociologist. “So if the women are sterilized, the number of prostitutes might reduce. This is my opinion.”

The 11th five-year plan by The Planning Commission reports that the number of married women using contraception has increased but that female sterilization remains the most common method of family planning.
For the women who undergo treatment the reasons behind male aversion to sterilization are irrelevant, for them, there is no other option.

“Husbands don’t answer when you ask why they do not get it [a vasectomy] done, it is the same everywhere,” said Sabamma, a mother of two who was about to undergo a tubectomy.