The false beliefs that vasectomy has an impact on sexual performance, causing deformation of the reproductive system, decrease and consistency of ejaculation, among others, inhibit men from resorting to this method of family planning, said the coordinator of Reproductive Health and External Consultation of the National Institute of Perinatology (INPer) of the Ministry of Health, Norma Velázquez Ramírez.
Because a large percentage of the male population of reproductive age lacks information regarding vasectomy, around 3.6 percent resorted to this method, revealed data from the National Survey of Demographic Dynamics (Enadid) 2018, prepared by the Institute National Statistics and Geography (Inegi).
Data from the National Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health (CNEGSR) of the Ministry of Health point out that during 2022 the demand for this procedure grew by 66.6 percent compared to 2018, going from 28,478 to 47,455. This figure places Mexico among the Latin American countries where it is done most frequently. .
He CNEGSR It states that between 2019 and 2022, 143 thousand no-scalpel vasectomies were performed; around six percent of the men who opted for this method were treated in medical units of the Ministry of Health; The greatest demand was from people between 30 and 39 years old.
The coordinator of Reproductive Health and Outpatient Consultation of the National Institute of Perinatology (INPer), Norma Velázquez Ramírez, explained that this procedure is recommended for people who do not wish to continue the fertility process. However, if you decide to have daughters or sons, there is the possibility of reversing the procedure through surgical recanalization with a fertility specialist.
It is a family planning method with 99 percent effectiveness, consisting of occluding the vas deferens of the male reproductive system, to prevent the release of sperm, without implying any alteration in sexual performance.
There are two types of vasectomy: no-scalpel, which is performed on an outpatient basis, in the office and does not require hospitalization; and with a scalpel, which is determined for special cases, due to some anatomical alteration or varicocele, among others, where the patient requires hospitalization.
He stressed that contraceptive effectiveness is not immediate, so it is required that, for 3 months, you use another contraceptive method and undergo a seminal study to rule out the presence of sperm.
Vasectomy does not prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), so it is important to use protective methods, such as condoms.
World Vasectomy Day is promoted by the World Vasectomy Day organization on November 17. In this context, for three decades the Ministry of Health has intensified actions to promote this scalpel-free procedure, which is performed free of charge in all public institutions in the sector.
