YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA — Since 2016, the Yogyakarta government in Indonesia has been carrying out a program to provide incentives for men to get vasectomies. Each man who agrees to the procedure receives 75 dollars.
This program was designed to increase the number of vasectomy participants, which is considered low.
A vasectomy is an operation where a surgeon cuts through a man’s vas deferens, and ties the two ends together, preventing sperm and seminal fluids from mixing.
Officials hope the program will help prevent an explosion in the population of the city.
According to the Head of Population Control and Family Planning, the population growth rate in Yogyakarta is 2.1%, below the national average. However, the government is still implementing measures to prevent future exponential growth.
As some women experience allergies using traditional contraceptives, the government has also suggested men to do their part by getting vasectomies.
Men who already have two children are recommended to undergo the procedure. However, many men are still reluctant to participate, as the procedure is permanent, and there is a great deal of fear surrounding the idea of a surgeon cutting into their nether regions.
To address this, the government has tried to educate the public about vasectomies using traditional art, to convince men that the surgery is not that scary.
