Health
Non-Scalpel Vasectomy Gaining Popularity
In PNG, it’s gaining momentum amongst men
Non-scalpel vasectomy is increasingly becoming popular amongst Papua New Guinea men as a birth control means.
The method, which was developed by Dr Li Shunqiang, director of Changqing Family Planning Scientific Research Institute in China, has been very popular amongst Chinese and Asian men over the past 27 years. The success rate in China is excellent.
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“It is the only way to effectively maintain an average and healthy family size,” said a professor at the University of Papua New Guinea, Dr Mathias Sapuri.
Saipuri introduced the method in Papua New Guinea.
Sapuri, who is also the Executive Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, told a UNICEF meeting in South Africa recently that a total of 4467 non-scalpel vasectomy operations (tying the tubes that carry sperms) have been done in the past six years to 2002 and the interest is gaining momentum.
He said the success rate has been good except for three pregnancies reported by two Papua New Guineans and an expatriate after the operations.
Prior to its introduction, about 50 cases were done per annum using the conventional method.
The non scalpel vasectomy programme in Papua New Guinea was funded by UNFPA from 1996 to 2002. Support for the programme was extended recently for a further three years to 2005.
Since the training of several doctors in non-scalpel vasectomy in Indonesia under the Work Bank and AusAID Population and Family Planning Project, Papua New Guinea now has about 150 other doctors and health extension officers who can carry out such operations. The trend for non scalpel vasectomy in Papua New Guinea has been impressive to date.
From only 150 cases in 1997, the number has grown to 545 in 1998, 1523 in 2001 and 4467 last year.
It is anticipated that more operations would be done in the next three years of the programme as awareness increases.
