Vasectomies are one of those unsexy and taboo procedures men get. Why not make them sexy?
Why don’t more men get vasectomies? Like most complicated issues, I think there are probably many overlapping reasons. For me, the more interesting question is- why don’t more people ask the question?
About four years ago I was sitting on the roof of the Soho Hotel with a friend of mine, filmmaker Jonathan Stack, talking about his latest film and film in general. Jonathan is a two-time academy award nominee and makes documentaries about very difficult topics in very dangerous, or at least, very exotic places. Then he said to me, “I want to do a film on vasectomy.” I remember I physically recoiled. It just seemed off. It wasn’t “him”. I stared at him blankly.
He asked me what I thought and I said, “I think it’s kind of….a weird idea.” Actually I thought it was worse than a weird idea, I thought it was most likely a bad idea- maybe even a stupid idea. He could tell I was skeptical so he wound up for a hard sell. I remember thinking that he was trying the idea out on me, perhaps even trying it out on himself- or at the very least he wanted to hear how it sounded out loud.
He told me he had decided to get a vasectomy and he seemed sort of obsessed with the idea. No- he sounded more like an evangelist. I was amused that this man, who had three children with three different women, was now finding such meaning in his decision to get a vasectomy. Or maybe that was precisely why he found meaning in the act. I remember teasing him once and saying, “You know, just because you take a women to dinner- it doesn’t mean you need to have a child with her.”
But no-it was becoming clear that he had actually put a lot of thought into this, and he was convinced that he was onto something, and it was starting to sound more like a raison d’etre.
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But no matter what I said to him, I couldn’t convince him that his idea wasn’t brilliant. It’s not unusual for Jonathan to become obsessed with things, that’s what makes him a great filmmaker- but he usually obsesses about things like warring factions in third world countries, or blacks in the south being warehoused in prisons. I asked him if he was under a lot of stress. I asked him if he was feeling o.k. I might have even asked him if he was on drugs. But no-it was becoming clear that he had actually put a lot of thought into this, and he was convinced that he was onto something, and it was starting to sound more like a raison d’etre.
He kept saying that men needed to step up to the plate and take responsibility- that women shouldn’t have to shoulder the responsibility both childbirth and birth control- not to mention the possibility of terminating a pregnancy. Of course I agreed with him, what woman wouldn’t? I still had lingering doubts about the viability of the project but this seemed to make him even more determined. Realizing he wasn’t going to be dissuaded I tried to think it through and said, “Well unless you can figure out how to make vasectomies sexy, I think it’s going to be a tough sell.”
The World Vasectomy Day organization is designed to be fluid, it’s a representation of an ongoing conversation- a conversation that we hope more people will join.
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That was three years ago- a lot has changed since then. Now there is this thing called “World Vasectomy Day” and I’m so onboard I’m working to help spread the world. It does make sense. What was I thinking? I’m almost embarrassed. It’s not just that men should take responsibility, but they should be included in family planning- and given the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way. The World Vasectomy Day organization is designed to be fluid, it’s a representation of an ongoing conversation- a conversation that we hope more people will join.
For more information or to join the movement, visit the World Vasectomy Day website.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
There are undoubtedly multiple reasons, from the perception of virility as an integral part of masculinity to something as mundane as the fear of the procedure. I think that an often overlooked factor is that men are far, FAR less likely to see doctors in general – and you generally need to see a doctor to get the vasectomy process going. Unless you’re a serious do-it-yourselfer.
So long as you don’t have a crippling fear of needles, a few hopeful endeavors seem to be in the works:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/09/we-ll-have-male-birth-control-by-2017.html
Why not invest in the production / research of birth control options for men? Don’t men deserve more choices than a condom or a vasectomy?
How about you remove the shitty therapy and counseling sessions you have to go through to get it done? I eventually had to go to Canada to get it done – I was 18; but I have no regrets – and I have no inclination of breeding. These Genes die with me.
Why don’t more men get vasectomies? Why don’t more women get hysterectomies?
“He kept saying that men needed to step up to the plate and take responsibility- that women shouldn’t have to shoulder the responsibility both childbirth and birth control- not to mention the possibility of terminating a pregnancy.” …… wow