Snip, Snip: World Vasectomy Day Shows Importance of Men’s Role in Family Planning

With Republicans assuming control in all branches of the federal government last week, concern shot up about women’s reproductive rights. Regrettably for moderate Republicans, limiting health decisions on reproduction has become a cornerstone for the party that works to further divide our country.

Social media was abuzz with calls for women to get an IUD, a birth control device which is effective for several years, while they’re still covered under the Affordable Care Act, which President-Elect Trump said he will ask Congress to repeal when he takes office. That is to be seen. Immediately after the election, Trump talked about keeping some parts of the legislation that work.

Indeed, contraception can be costly, and thus the alarm that went out. An estimated 20 million women in 2015 needed public assistance with contraception, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Birth control in the U.S. remains largely portrayed as a “women’s issue,” so effectively leaves half the population out of the discussion – not counting male legislators who sometimes have a disproportionate voice in the discussion. Whether concerns are exaggerated remains to be seen. But should increased costs and limitations become a real issue, it’s certainly an opportunity for more males to step up and do their part.

There are many contraception options for women, but not so for men. Condoms, if used properly every time, are 98 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, according to Planned Parenthood. But in the real world, that means an 82 percent effectiveness rate. In other words, 18 out of 100 who use condoms as their only birth control method will get pregnant each year. Males are receptive to new options, according to a recent study, including a long-acting reversible male contraceptive called Vasalgel which is under development.

Vasectomy remains a definitive way to ensure sex does not result in pregnancy. A relatively quick surgical procedure with minimal post-discomfort, vasectomy is safer and less expensive than the female surgical procedure, tubal ligation, another method of pregnancy prevention. Vasectomy is a permanent method of birth control, so it’s an option for men who are certain they do not want to have children or who have reached their desired family size.

Timely in light of concerns about health care costs, this week we should be hearing more about vasectomy, as Friday is World Vasectomy Day. Started in 2012, the day is a way to highlight the importance of men – half the population – in family planning. Documentary filmmaker Jonathan Stack, along with Doug Stein, M.D., who Stack profiled in “The Vasectomist,” are the co-founders of WVD, which continues to grow annually and to heighten awareness about the key role of men in family planning and the elective procedure of vasectomy.

World population currently is at 7.5 billion – a doubling in a mere 40 years – and U.N. projections point to a population of 9.7 billion by 2050. Given the many indicators of a planet well into overshoot, including the most recent shocking news of a 58 percent decline in wildlife worldwide, it’s difficult to imagine how we will bear another more than 2 billion humans on Mother Earth. So on a planet that will not see population stabilization anytime soon, the commitment of Stack, Stein and all those involved in WVD to bringing much-needed attention and awareness to how men can be more involved in family planning is impressive and much needed.

In addition to those concerned about women’s rights under a Republican administration, environmental organizations raised a red flag en masse last week. These are the so-called greens who have all but abandoned addressing population growth. For those truly concerned about the environment under the new leadership, it’s a good time to remind them that the carbon legacy and greenhouse gas impact of an extra child is almost 20 times more important than some of the other environmentally sensitive practices people might employ their entire lives – things like driving a high mileage car, recycling or using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, according to a study from the University of Oregon. So, the single biggest thing one person can do for the environment is to not reproduce.

Worldwide we can choose smaller families – or no families.

And, as with this week’s message to get more men involved in family planning, that’s a message that doesn’t require Trump, or the Congress, to push.