For decades, the burden of family planning has rested almost entirely on women in Kenya. Whether through daily hormonal pills, painful IUD insertions or long-term implants, tubal ligation and injectables, Kenyan women have endured the side effects of contraception- often without much thought from their partners.
Meanwhile, men largely sidestep the responsibility, leaving women to navigate the consequences of continued contraception use including weight gain, nausea, hormonal imbalance, mood swings, irregular bleeding and long-term reproductive health risks such as prolonged infertility, blood clots and cancer.
But with changing dynamics in Kenya’s sexual landscape- where casual sex, multiple partners and diverse sexual lifestyles are becoming more prevalent- the demand for quick and accessible contraception has skyrocketed. It’s now common to find women popping emergency contraceptive pills like candy, sometimes multiple times a week, due to the lack of planning or fear of pregnancy.
Many Kenyan women turn to the morning-after pill or long-term birth control without fully understanding the health risks, while men continue to enjoy the luxury of irresponsibility.
But with greater awareness, should more Kenyan men be stepping up and taking control of family planning through temporary or permanent vasectomy? A vasectomy is a simple, minor surgical procedure that prevents sperm from mixing with semen by cutting or sealing the vas deferens (the tubes that carry sperm). This means that a man can still ejaculate and have sex normally, but without the risk of impregnating his partner. There are two types of vasectomy: conventional vasectomy whereby a small incision is made in the scrotum to access and cut the vas deferens; and the no-scalpel vasectomy, a less invasive procedure where the vas deferens are accessed through a tiny puncture, leading to quicker recovery and minimal complications.
While vasectomy is considered a permanent birth control method, it is reversible in some cases through a procedure called vasovasostomy, which reconnects the tubes. Vasectomy offers a safer, more reliable and long-term solution compared to the risky birth control methods women endure. However, Kenyan men are still hesitant, largely due to cultural beliefs and misinformation. Many wrongly assume that vasectomy kills sexual performance (it doesn’t), reduces masculinity (it doesn’t) and is the same as castration (it’s not). In reality, vasectomy has no impact on sexual pleasure, libido, or testosterone levels. It simply prevents sperm from causing pregnancy.
With the rising cost of living and increasing parenting responsibilities, family planning should not be left to women alone. More Kenyan men should educate themselves on vasectomy and consider taking an active role in contraception, rather than leaving women to bear the brunt of dangerous birth control methods. If women can endure injections, implants and painful procedures to prevent unwanted pregnancies, why are men afraid of a 15-minute, virtually painless vasectomy procedure? Is it time for Kenyan men to rethink their role in family planning? Or will women continue to bear the health risks alone? This conversation is long overdue.
