Fearing loss of sexual prowess, Filipino men continue to shun vasectomies

Mistaken beliefs regarding vasectomies — such as the loss of a man’s sexual prowess — continue to persist among Filipinos, which stops them from taking advantage of free contraceptive services.

This was shared yesterday by the Commission on Population (POPCOM), a government agency in-charge of population management.

Addressing this myth, POPCOM’s executive director Dr. Juan Antonio Perez III told GMA News: “[Vasectomy] has no effect on sexual performance or prowess. Actually, you still have emmission or ejaculation. What you will lose are the [potent] sperm that leads to pregnancy.”

According to POPCOM, only 13 men have availed of their free vasectomy services this year so far. Only 108 have availed of the free condoms which they distribute.

On the other hand, only 682 women have availed of free tubal ligations and other contraceptives this year.

Perez said they’re working with other government agencies to encourage more Filipinos to plan the number of their children.

The Philippine Star reported that the Department of Labor and Employment is also looking at the possibility of letting people go on vacation leave to avail of vasectomies and tubal ligations.

In spite of the discouraging numbers, they still aim to provide 2,000 free vasectomies and 30,000 tubal ligations within the year.

POPCOM estimates that  4,965 Filipinos are born each day or 206 every hour. The agency estimates that there will be more than 107 million Filipinos by the end of this year.

Filipino men, influenced perhaps by Hispanic culture, give much value to being perceived as “macho” or being great in bed. Many fear that by undergoing a vasectomy, they would become the butt of their friends’ jokes.

Cultural beliefs have always worked against the government whenever it promotes vasectomies as a form of contraception.

Last year, Davao had a 51 percent drop in the number of men who underwent vasectomies. The city health office cited the decrease due to the perception that vasectomies would lessen the men’s “macho image.”

The belief that vasectomies could lead to an inability to have an erection was also cited as the main reason as to why only eight men underwent the procedure in the entire Ilocos region in 2007.