E-Paper
Decline in male sterilisation adds to women’s burden of birth control in Maharashtra
State public health department data reveals sharp decline in percentage of men undergoing vasectomy, while many women continue to choose tubectomy despite its complexity
Pune: Birth control remains a significant burden for women in Maharashtra as fewer men opt for sterilisation. The recent data released by the state public health department on Wednesday reveals a sharp decline in the percentage of men undergoing vasectomy, while many women continue to choose tubectomy despite its complexity.
According to the data, male sterilisation rates have steadily decreased over the past few years. In the 2021-22 April-March period, around 2.6% of the male population opted for vasectomy. The figure dropped to 2.5% in 2022-23 and further declined to 1.5% in 2023-24. In 2024-2025 (till November), the number had reached its lowest point, with only 0.86% of eligible men undergoing the procedure.
Meanwhile, a significant number of women continue to undergo tubectomy (see graphic), a more invasive and complicated procedure. Health experts say this reflects a lack of shared responsibility in family planning, which puts unnecessary physical and emotional strain on women.
Dr Babita Kamlapurkar, additional director, state family welfare and health services for Maharashtra, said, “Still there is a lack of awareness at the community level due to which the percentage of men coming forward for sterilisation is less. However, the percentage of men undergoing vasectomy is not meagre. The ideal expected percentage of men that should undergo sterilisation is around 5% of the total procedures.”
Given the declining percentage of male sterilisation, the efforts taken by the health department to address the issue through information, education, and communication (IEC) activities have not yet yielded the desired results. The myths and misconceptions about male sterilisation are deep-rooted. Many men fear vasectomy could lead to a loss of strength or masculinity, despite medical evidence proving otherwise, officials said.
Dr Kamlapurkar said that the health department is doing good work and the total fertility rate (children per woman) in the state has come down to 1.5 (2023-24) compared to 1.8 in 2022-23. Men still prefer temporary contraceptive methods over permanent ones.
“Vasectomy is simple in comparison to tubectomy, which is more invasive. We urge citizens to change their mindset to achieve equality in family planning responsibilities,” she said.
Dr Sunita Tandulwadkar, president, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), cited lack of awareness, myths and misunderstandings as major reasons behind poor count of men opting for sterilisation.
“Men feel that they would lose their masculinity, decline in sex desire and will not be able to work in jobs that involve hard labour. All these are misconceptions and the procedure is simple compared to female sterilisation which is more invasive. Besides, the centres have fewer experts to perform a vasectomy compared to expert gynaecologists. The government is working hard, and we might see a reverse situation in the future.”
