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Should Men be Involved in Family Planning?

BY Juma · November 14, 2016 03:11 am

Should men be involved in family planning? Ask any man in Kenya that question and the person will look at you as though you are a strange being who just landed from the moon or another planet beyond earth.

Trying to involve men in family planning in Kenya to some extent is like trying to do what Moses of the Bible managed to do; getting water out of a rock. The subject is often left for women. There is a general notion that family planning is a woman’s affair and that men have no role whatsoever in the matter.

Religion, coupled with traditional subscriptions have made it difficult to drive the point about family planning home. Some religious organization are totally against family planning. Traditionally, in most society, family planning is prohibited and it is a taboo talking about it, let alone thinking about it.

But the world is changing and it is changing fast. With the prevailing economic ups and down, men across the globe have realized that they too need to take part in family planning. Men, especially in the western world have embraced vasectomy as a way of family planning. Vasectomy is a term used for male family planning process where one is made, not to produce sperms during a sexual intercourse with their married partners, but still enjoy all the other conjugal benefits.

On Friday, 18th, is a World Vasectomy Day. The big day will have its base in Kenya at the National Theatre in Nairobi. Here, is where men are to be taught of their role in family planning and why they should undertake the process.

But, are Kenyan men ready for family planning? Are they ready to undertake Vasectomy and save their partners from the agony of having to worry about getting pregnant?

“Say what?” Exclaimed Mr. Okisai Bernard when asked about if he is willing to undertake Vasectomy. “No way! Why should I? It will be against what my ancestors and religion stands for: go yee and feel the earth!” He says in a brief interview.

“It is important that men take part in Vasectomy. This way, we shall be able to maintain manageable families that we can feed and educate,” said Mr. Ambrose Baraza, a primary school teacher at Namunyiri Primary School.

Asked if he would prefer Vasectomy, Mr. Baraza smiled and said, “My father took me for Vasectomy when I was in college. By the time I was in college, I already had three kids from different girlfriends and my dad, who is a doctor, convinced me to go for Vasectomy and I did and I don’t regret because by now I would be having a whole football team to feed and shelter!”

According to Dr. Nato, women have a big role in enlightening their men on issues of family planning.

“Men think Vasectomy is like castration. They think that after the process, they will not be able to perform in bed again and their is nothing a man fears than that. If women take part in telling them that all is well, then more men will be able and willing to take part.” She said during an interview.

“My husband went for Vasectomy in the United States of America. This was after we got our fourth born ” by mistake” and we realized that there was a “problem”” she said, smiling.

Join the world in celebrating the world Vasectomy day at the National Theater Nairobi and help create a manageable world.

 

Juma is an enthusiastic journalist who believes that journalism has power to change the world either negatively or positively depending on how one uses it. (020) 528 0222 or Email: info@sokodirectory.com

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