Urban News

“Providing monetary incentive for promoting male sterilisation paid dividends as many from slums and slum-like areas came forward for vasectomy. We also need to educate the literate masses, especially those working in corporate sectors like call centres and malls,” said Dr Asha Advani, special officer, women and child development, BMC.

“We are targeting corporate houses and companies mainly for creating awareness of vasectomy as a permanent birth-control measure and clear the myths. So far, we have visited a number of call centres, Godrej Company, MTNL and even Mumbai Port Trust,” said Dr Advani.

I did not want my wife to go under the scalpel for family planning so I volunteered for it,” said Raju (name changed), a 30-year-old senior employee in a consulting firm and father of two kids. “It is safe and does not affect our sexual life.”

Many family planning options available for women, especially oral pills, have side-effects that affect the couple’s sexual life.

“We have two kids — an eight-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. My wife’s platelet count is low and hence she cannot undergo any family planning operation. Hence I am opting for it.” said a mechanic in BEST.

Meanwhile, the BMC is worried about poor performance because the state government has stopped funding the scheme that offered additional monetary incentive to men opting for sterilisation.

In 2008-’09, Mumbai recorded 4,661 vasectomies, way above the target of 3,000 set by the BMC. The improved city figures helped the state jump from the worst performing state (second last before 2008) to third in the country this year.

“The city recorded maximum vasectomies in the state and the state is the third in the country only after West Bengal and Punjab. However in 2008-’09, the figures dropped to 3,100. We need to meet at least last year’s figures,” said Dr Advani.