In a region still rebuilding social and health systems after repeated shocks, male sterilization appears almost invisible.
“In more than a decade since 2013 when I was in Eastern Visayas Medical Center, I’m only aware of one tatay who underwent a vasectomy in Eastern Visayas,” says Hermart Severino, Family Planning Program Coordinator.
“But in terms of our data, we actually have a small number of men who voluntarily underwent the procedure,” he added.
If his observation captures reality on the ground, it would mirror a national pattern: vasectomy is effectively a fringe family-planning option for Eastern Visayas.
At a national level, their data also shows a scale of the gap.
The 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reported that male sterilization — overwhelmingly delivered as non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) where available — accounted for roughly 0.1% of contraceptive use among men, a figure echoed by the Commission on Population and Development (CPD).
Other official and program sources place the absolute number of men who have ever had a vasectomy in the low tens of thousands (for example, roughly 15,000 procedures reported around 2020), while routine claims data show only dozens of vasectomy claims through PhilHealth in some recent years.
Those numbers stand in stark contrast to female sterilization and to use of female-centred methods such as the pill, injectables and IUDs.
Why is male sterilization so uncommon in the region?
Research and program reviews point to multiple, reinforcing barriers.
Several factors include entrenched gender norms, fear of sexual dysfunction or loss of masculinity, and religious or moral objections.
Studies in the country have also repeatedly identified “machismo” and misinformation as primary deterrents to men’s participation in family planning.
“Usa gihap siguro ha nakikita naton is iton nga diba didi ha aton ha region 8, basta Waray-Waray mag isog an aton mga lalake,bangin ito makaput pala, masuntok na an doctor,” Severino joked.
On the other hand, other factors may include limited numbers of trained NSV providers with only two for Eastern Visayas, low promotion of the method in routine services, logistical hurdles for men which would include time off work and travel, and provider bias that channels permanent methods toward women.
Eastern Visayas faces additional, local challenges. Post-disaster facility damage, chronic shortages of health personnel in rural municipalities, and competing priorities for limited outreach budgets reduce opportunities for male-targeted campaigns.
If Severino’s single-case memory reflects service records, it suggests both demand absence and missed opportunities — men may not be reached by counseling, and providers may not be scheduling or publicizing NSV services in barangay health units and rural health centers.
A long term option.
Vasectomy is a one-time, highly effective, low-cost contraceptive option that would reduce the burden of repeat care on health facilities and lessen risks that fall disproportionately on women.
Program analyses argue that modest increases in male sterilization uptake could avert unintended pregnancies and lower long-term reproductive-health costs.
Yet achieving that requires coordinated action: expand provider training in NSV, integrate male-focused counseling into routine maternal and child health contacts, partner with local faith and community leaders to address misconceptions, and use male champions to normalize the procedure.
Eastern Visayas does not need to reinvent the wheel; pilot campaigns elsewhere in the Philippines and experience from CPD/DOH outreach show modest but rapid gains when services are free, conveniently scheduled, and coupled with targeted information campaigns.
It may be difficult and undoubtedly can be a tough pill to swallow but many should be reminded or educated that the burden of lifelong contraception should not fall almost entirely on women.
“Isog” does not always mean courage and bravery in the face of a perceived threat but also being brave enough to face unconventional ideas for the benefit and health of your own family.
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