To promote male involvement in family planning, the Indonesia Planned Parenthood Association (PKBI), in collaboration with the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) and the Partner in Population and Development (PPD), is set to host the third commemoration of World Vasectomy Day in Gianyar, Bali, on Friday.

Although a vasectomy is safe, effective and has few complications, there is still low acceptance in Indonesia, the PKBI says.

'€œIt was reported that in 2014, the number of vasectomy acceptors in Indonesia reached around 8.5 million people or only 0.25 percent of total acceptors,'€ the PKBI stated on Wednesday.

The commemoration of World Vasectomy Day had been scheduled to coincide with the International Conference on Family Planning (ICPF) in Nusa Dua, Bali. However, ICPF spokesperson Dean Michael Klag announced last Thursday that the conference had been postponed until further notice on account of the eruption of Mount Barujari in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, last week, which had led to the closure of Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali, for several days.

'€œOf course, we are all very disappointed about the ICPF postponement. We had been organizing the biggest event focusing on male involvement in family planning in history for three years, however, we will not let the volcanic ash bring our spirits down,'€ WVD cofounder Jonathan Stack said.

Globally, it is reported that the participation of men in reproductive health and family planning activities, especially vasectomies, stood below 1 percent.

'€œAmong major reasons include poor knowledge about vasectomies, fears that reproductive organs of those who undergo a vasectomy will not function anymore, and a false understanding that a vasectomy is similar to castration,'€ said Stack, a New York movie maker who has received several Emmy and Academy awards.

To show his support for male involvement in family planning, Stack became a vasectomy acceptor in Australia in 2013, when the first commemoration of World Vasectomy Day was held.

BKKBN head Surya Chandra Surapathy is scheduled to open the third commemoration of World Vasectomy Day, which will be held in Gianyar square.

'€œIt is hoped that this year'€™s event encourages married couples to start discussing a vasectomy as a contraceptive choice, to boost male involvement in family planning and to call all health providers to improve the quality of their services,'€ said World Vasectomy Day commemoration organizing committee head Dina Purita Antonio-Jufri.

The peak event of this year'€™s commemoration in Gianyar will be broadcast via live streaming to countries across the world. Around 750 doctors in 40 countries are set to participate to provide vasectomy services in the global movement event.(+)

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