Acceptance and non-acceptance of vasectomy in rural Thailand
Muangman, D.; Trakulwongse, B.
Journal of Thai Association for Voluntary Sterilization 2: 39-57
1980
PMID: 12264056 Document Number: 465995
340 vasectomized and 300 nonvasectomized married men in Angthong Province and Nakorn Rajsima Province, Thailand were individually interviewed. In the nonvasectomized group, 89% were under 46 years old, 93% finished at least 4 years of school, 73% were farmers, 75% practiced birth control at the time of the interview, 88% had heard of vasectomy, and 68% felt wives should have sterilization done and not husbands. The average number of living children per family was 4. The interviewed men were for the most part afraid that vasectomies would affect their sexual potency, physical and mental health, and their ability to do hard work. In the vasectomized group, 75% were under the age of 46, 96% finished at least 4 years of school, 80% were farmers, and 16% practiced birth control before undergoing vasectomy. The average number of living children was 3.3 per family. The main reasons for undergoing vasectomy were economic and health reasons, and the main motivators for seeking the procedure were friends, relatives and local health workers, although the main decision makers were the interviewees themselves. Of the 340 vasectomized men, 34% were operated on by MDs, while the rest were operated on by Army Medics (37%), Village healers (18%), Nurses (4%), and Junior Sanitarians (2%). Pregnancy rates ran at a maximum of 4% for vasectomies performed by health personnel. Complication rates were at about 15% of all men operated on.