Family planning programs targeting men have successfully slowed the population growth in Buleleng regency in North Bali, a government official says.
The number of male participants in family planning programs has increased since 2005.
Gede Komang, the head of the Buleleng Family Planning and Women’s Empowerment Agency, said the population growth in Buleleng dropped from 1.44 percent in 2005 to 1.14 percent in 2007, compared to the national average of 1.3 percent.
Population growth in the regency has been decreasing in the last five years. The latest data has not been disclosed, pending the final results of the 2010 population census. Buleleng has a population of 700,000 people.
The number of participants in family planning programs in the regency reached 11,958. Across Bali, there are 478,988 participants in these programs.
Komang said many men were still reluctant to participate in the national family planning program, saying it was intended only for women. Active and sustainable education and advocacy programs have successfully drawn male residents into the family planning programs.
The local administration allocated Rp 2.4 billion to revitalize family planning programs with a target of drawing 12,069 new female and 2,128 male participants in 2010.
“We set a target of reaching 4.5 percent of the 120,000 men in their productive period,” Komang added.
Men in the program use condoms as contraception or undergo surgery to become sterile. The number of participants who have had vasectomies has increased, he said.
A vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure to sterilize a man. This permanent form of contraception involves cutting and blocking off the vas deferens that carry sperm from the testicles to the penis. Existing sperm is reabsorbed into the body over time with no ill effects.
The chance of conception following a vasectomy are around one in 2,000.
Komang said many men did not understand this medical process. “They are too afraid of undergoing such a surgery, which they think will diminish their sexual desire,” he said.
The operation, he said, did not generally affect a man’s sexual desire or his ability to reach orgasm. The production of male hormones, which takes place inside the testicles, is not affected. Despite previous concerns, there is no proven link to prostate cancer or heart disease.
So far, 58 participants have had a vasectomy. Around 25 more are scheduled to have the procedure done by the end of July, Komang added.
Komang said his agency would monitor the men to ensure no medical complications following the procedure.
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