Regarding contraception, the responsibility almost always falls on women. In general, it is women who go to reproductive health services alone and decide which family planning method to use. “They take the pills, and the men tend to ignore it”, this is often due to a social cultural issue, and a lack of available information.
Fortunately, this is changing today. We can see men more involved, taking charge of their reproductive life and that of their partner. Sexuality has become a normal topic (as it should be) in the daily life of young people and adults, knowing and how to care for the body, seeing how it works, the benefits and risks involved, how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancies ; These are topics that were previously prohibited, and that today are essential to enjoy good, responsible, free and informed Sexual Health.
Family planning is the responsibility of men and women, it is a right to decide whether or not you want to have children, how often and with whom. For this reason it becomes so important to stay informed about the full range of contraceptive methods that exist today. Know their differences, pros and cons. Identify which are short- or long-term, or permanent.
Knowing your needs at the moment, in the medium and long term is also important to make a good decision regarding contraception. Among the options for men, today we have penile condoms and vasectomy, which is considered a permanent method.
Vasectomy is a simple surgical procedure, where the communication of the vas deferens is cut, preventing the spermatozoa from finally being ejaculated. It is an outpatient procedure, cheaper and simpler to do versus tubal ligation which is done under general anesthesia, has more complications and risks. It is one of the most effective and rapid recovery methods. For this reason, it is increasingly a very attractive option for couples who decide to terminate their paternity or who simply do not want to have children.
The contraception gap continues, but it is changing. It is the duty of us as health professionals to improve access to information on Sexual and Reproductive Health issues, so that there is no bias when making decisions. We must tear down myths, share experiences and make Sexuality and Reproductive Health the responsibility of everyone, not just women.
Macarena Moreno Matron de decideoinformada .cl
Our OPINION section is an open space, so the content in this column is sole responsibility by its author, and does not necessarily reflect the editorial line of BioBioChile