When it comes to family planning, the onus is usually on women to get the job done. After all, we are the vessels anatomically created to carry precious cargo.
But it’s a known fact that it takes two for conception to take place. So, why aren’t men doing their part in taking preventative measures?
When Johannesburg photographer Jag, 29, announced on social media earlier this week that he had undergone the Big Snip, he did not anticipate the knee-jerk reaction it elicited.
Posting photos of himself during recovery, he wrote: “I did it. I just got my irreversible vasectomy done.
“I'm 29. Unmarried. No children and no intention of ever having any. I've wanted this for years. It's surreal.”
The pinned post immediately went viral on Twitter with over 900 likes and 5.3K retweets.
Jag said he had shared with his followers previously that he was planning on undergoing a vasectomy. But the minute his post started trending, his phone continuously went off with alerts. “The tweet was essentially just an update to my followers. I was just expecting a reaction from friends and family that were following my journey,” he said.
I did it. I just got my irreversible vasectomy done.
— Divorce Photographer ♌ (@JagIsOffline) February 2, 2022
I'm 29. Unmarried. No children and no intention of ever having any. I've wanted this for years. It's surreal.
Thank you to everyone who advised, donated, and @NthabiWabi for supporting me through every step 💕 pic.twitter.com/ULwFeABvh9
He added that after the first 500 comments, it was impossible to keep up. But then something astonishing happened. Jag’s tweet was the catalyst for starting a conversation, and a huge audience engagement.
“When I first tweeted about this, I was sitting on 520 followers, and now I’m on 2 300 (and counting).
“I carried on following the comments because the conversation was ongoing and current, and because of the misinformation that was being spread, I needed to defend the biology and science behind having a vasectomy,” he explained.
Why take such drastic measures to ensure that you’ll never biologically father a child?
For Jag, the answer was simple: “It really is just a sense that I've always known that I don't want to have children. For me, it was never appealing; the only thing I waited for was a solution.”
Those are clear enough reasons for not wanting kids, but as can be expected, many men took issue with that.
“Stupid decision we make especially when we're still young....... Kids is everything when career is done and dusted,” commented one user.
Another asked: “What if one day you sick or can’t even take care of yourself, who will take that charge? Who will work and provide for you if you don’t have kids?”
And there were those who were genuinely interested in Jag’s story. He is still receiving DMs enquiring about his experience and where he had the procedure done.
WATCH: Why a vasectomy is a great option for birth control
“I was referred to a urologist who estimated a cost of R48K if done privately.
“I was close to giving up until a friend did research on the internet and found Reproductive Choices in Centurion,” he said. The entire procedure cost him R5 500.
According to the clinic’s website, the vasectomy “is a small operation done under a local anaesthetic where the vas deference, (the tube the sperm is transported in) is cut and closed.
“A small midline incision is made in the scrotum and a small piece of the vas deference is removed. Men stay in the clinic to recuperate for a while.”
Two days into his recovery, Jag is in a jovial mood.
“I had the procedure done, came home; and my instruction was to wear tight underwear, and have an ice pack on the groin area to keep things cold.”
The clinic has given him seven to 10 days to make a full recovery. And here’s the fun part - during that period you are not allowed to get an erection.
And after 20 ejaculations (not consecutively) two semen samples have to be submitted to the lab a few weeks apart for a clear result.
Jag is hoping to change the narrative around birth control and the right to having kids or not.
“There are a lot of married people who have had the children that they’d like to have, so why has the husband not gone for a vasectomy? Why aren't the men carrying this burden?” he asked.
“People aren't willing to take the steps to prevent having children because of patriarchal beliefs, but don’t want to take on the duty of rearing a child.”
Get your free vasectomy!
Last year, the Metro Men’s Health Centre collaborated with Tygerberg Hospital to provide free vasectomies to men in the Western Cape.
“It is seen as a form of contraception for men who do not want unplanned pregnancies and it is a safe option,” said Men’s Centre’s Dr Abdul Sungay.
“It is a small-day procedure that takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and you will be discharged later in the day,” he explained.
To access the service, Dr Sungay encouraged men to make use of the facility’s appointment line, “Clients asking for this service should call and make an appointment. When they arrive, they will be seen by a fertility counsellor before the procedure.”
Jag will be giving regular updates on his vasectomy journey on Twitter and is wiling to give any advice he can offer. Follow him @JagIsOffline
To make an appointment at the centre, you can call or send a please call me to 079 530 2593, or use WhatsApp or your SMS service by sending the word “HI” between 8am and 3.30pm from Monday to Friday.