NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 16 \u2013 For Richard Kilundo, a 55-year-old Nursing Officer at Lunga Lunga Sub-County Hospital, family planning is not just a professional responsibility\u2014it\u2019s deeply personal. A father of three grown children aged 26, 24, and 19, Richard knew he didn\u2019t want any more children as he approached retirement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe economy is tough, and raising children is no small feat,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen my firstborn had a child, I started thinking about how my potential new baby would relate to my grandchild. That\u2019s when I decided it was time to take control.\u201d<\/p>\n
On September 13, 2024, after years of deliberation and a frank conversation with his wife, Richard underwent a vasectomy\u2014a decision he says has brought him peace of mind.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Richard Kilundo, a 55-year-old Nursing Officer at Lunga Lunga Sub-County Hospital, is among the Kenyan men who have embraced vasectomy as a family planning method.<\/em><\/p>\n Vasectomy is a surgical procedure that is a permanent and effective form of birth control. It is considered safe and does not affect a man\u2019s sexual performance. However, it is irreversible, and men or couples must use another form of contraception for three months after the procedure to ensure complete effectiveness.<\/p>\n Richard\u2019s decision was made jointly with his wife, who had been using hormonal contraceptives but faced complications due to high blood pressure. \u201cWe realized it wasn\u2019t fair for her to bear the burden of family planning alone, especially when there was a safer option for me,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n While some laughed at his decision, questioning why he would opt for vasectomy with only three children, Richard remains unfazed. \u201cHaving many children doesn\u2019t guarantee happiness. The question is: can you provide for them and give them a good life?\u201d<\/p>\n Richard\u2019s experience directly challenges common misconceptions about vasectomy, particularly fears about its impact on masculinity and sexual performance. \u201cIt\u2019s painless and quick\u2014less than ten minutes. I even went to my farm afterwards,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd as for my sex life, it\u2019s better than ever. Vasectomy doesn\u2019t change who you are as a man; it just stops you from impregnating a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Medical professionals like Mary Mwakugu, a nurse at Kilifi County Referral Hospital, emphasise vasectomy\u2019s safety and effectiveness. \u201cMany misconceptions stem from misinformation. Men fear losing their sexual urge or performance, but these fears are unfounded,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Despite its benefits, vasectomy remains underutilized in Kenya. Mwakugu notes that outreach efforts, including barazas<\/em> (public meeting) and sessions at mosques, have improved awareness about family planning overall, but the uptake of vasectomy is still low. In 2022 and 2023, the hospital recorded only one vasectomy each year.<\/p>\n Dr. Francis Kwama, Health CEC for Kwale County, attributes the low uptake of vasectomy to societal norms and misinformation. \u201cCompared to other family planning methods, vasectomy remains less popular because of cultural barriers and misconceptions,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n For Richard, vasectomy symbolizes empowerment\u2014not just for himself but for his family. \u201cI don\u2019t want to struggle in retirement, raising a young child with my pension. Vasectomy has allowed me to plan for the future I want, and I hope more men will see it as a viable option.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n As myths give way to facts and more men like Richard share their stories, vasectomy could finally earn its place in Kenya\u2019s family planning conversation.<\/p>\n But for family planning interventions to succeed, hospitals must have constant medical supplies.<\/p>\n The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been instrumental in addressing these challenges. Through partnerships and outreach programs implemented by the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH), UNFPA has worked to increase access to family planning services, including vasectomy.<\/p>\n In Kenya, UNFPA is championing a broad spectrum of family planning methods to empower individuals and promote reproductive health. Through a comprehensive approach, it provides access to contraceptives, non-invasive methods and crucial information about fertility and family planning options.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n These initiatives include providing vasectomy kits and other supplies through the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) which uses i-LMIS<\/a> \u2013 the Integrated Logistics Management Information System, which has proved to be a game changer in the supplies and stocks management of medical commodities in public hospitals in Kenya.<\/p>\n Read more on i-LMIS<\/a>:<\/p>\n
![<\/a>Richard Kilundo, a 55-year-old Nursing Officer at Lunga Lunga Sub-County Hospital, is among the Kenyan men who have embraced vasectomy as a family planning method.<\/em><\/p>\nVasectomy is a surgical procedure that is a permanent and effective form of birth control. It is considered safe and does not affect a man\u2019s sexual performance. However, it is irreversible, and men or couples must use another form of contraception for three months after the procedure to ensure complete effectiveness.<\/p>\nRichard\u2019s decision was made jointly with his wife, who had been using hormonal contraceptives but faced complications due to high blood pressure. \u201cWe realized it wasn\u2019t fair for her to bear the burden of family planning alone, especially when there was a safer option for me,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\nWhile some laughed at his decision, questioning why he would opt for vasectomy with only three children, Richard remains unfazed. \u201cHaving many children doesn\u2019t guarantee happiness. The question is: can you provide for them and give them a good life?\u201d<\/p>\nRichard\u2019s experience directly challenges common misconceptions about vasectomy, particularly fears about its impact on masculinity and sexual performance. \u201cIt\u2019s painless and quick\u2014less than ten minutes. I even went to my farm afterwards,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd as for my sex life, it\u2019s better than ever. Vasectomy doesn\u2019t change who you are as a man; it just stops you from impregnating a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nMedical professionals like Mary Mwakugu, a nurse at Kilifi County Referral Hospital, emphasise vasectomy\u2019s safety and effectiveness. \u201cMany misconceptions stem from misinformation. Men fear losing their sexual urge or performance, but these fears are unfounded,\u201d she says.<\/p>\nDespite its benefits, vasectomy remains underutilized in Kenya. Mwakugu notes that outreach efforts, including barazas<\/em> (public meeting) and sessions at mosques, have improved awareness about family planning overall, but the uptake of vasectomy is still low. In 2022 and 2023, the hospital recorded only one vasectomy each year.<\/p>\nDr. Francis Kwama, Health CEC for Kwale County, attributes the low uptake of vasectomy to societal norms and misinformation. \u201cCompared to other family planning methods, vasectomy remains less popular because of cultural barriers and misconceptions,\u201d he says.<\/p>\nFor Richard, vasectomy symbolizes empowerment\u2014not just for himself but for his family. \u201cI don\u2019t want to struggle in retirement, raising a young child with my pension. Vasectomy has allowed me to plan for the future I want, and I hope more men will see it as a viable option.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nAs myths give way to facts and more men like Richard share their stories, vasectomy could finally earn its place in Kenya\u2019s family planning conversation.<\/p>\nBut for family planning interventions to succeed, hospitals must have constant medical supplies.<\/p>\nThe United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been instrumental in addressing these challenges. Through partnerships and outreach programs implemented by the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH), UNFPA has worked to increase access to family planning services, including vasectomy.<\/p>\nIn Kenya, UNFPA is championing a broad spectrum of family planning methods to empower individuals and promote reproductive health. Through a comprehensive approach, it provides access to contraceptives, non-invasive methods and crucial information about fertility and family planning options.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nThese initiatives include providing vasectomy kits and other supplies through the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) which uses i-LMIS<\/a> \u2013 the Integrated Logistics Management Information System, which has proved to be a game changer in the supplies and stocks management of medical commodities in public hospitals in Kenya.<\/p>\nRead more on i-LMIS<\/a>:<\/p>\n\nHow KEMSA\u2019s i-LMIS is transforming medical commodities stock and distribution<\/a>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 16 \u2013 For Richard Kilundo, a 55-year-old Nursing Officer at Lunga Lunga Sub-County Hospital, family planning is not just a professional responsibility\u2014it\u2019s deeply personal. A father of three grown children aged 26, 24, and 19, Richard knew he didn\u2019t want any more children as he approached retirement. \u201cThe economy is tough, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105403\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/www.capitalfm.co.ke\/news\/files\/2024\/12\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-12-11-at-13.47.55.jpeg\"){kind=link}
![<\/a><\/p>\nMedical professionals like Mary Mwakugu, a nurse at Kilifi County Referral Hospital, emphasise vasectomy\u2019s safety and effectiveness. \u201cMany misconceptions stem from misinformation. Men fear losing their sexual urge or performance, but these fears are unfounded,\u201d she says.<\/p>\nDespite its benefits, vasectomy remains underutilized in Kenya. Mwakugu notes that outreach efforts, including barazas<\/em> (public meeting) and sessions at mosques, have improved awareness about family planning overall, but the uptake of vasectomy is still low. In 2022 and 2023, the hospital recorded only one vasectomy each year.<\/p>\nDr. Francis Kwama, Health CEC for Kwale County, attributes the low uptake of vasectomy to societal norms and misinformation. \u201cCompared to other family planning methods, vasectomy remains less popular because of cultural barriers and misconceptions,\u201d he says.<\/p>\nFor Richard, vasectomy symbolizes empowerment\u2014not just for himself but for his family. \u201cI don\u2019t want to struggle in retirement, raising a young child with my pension. Vasectomy has allowed me to plan for the future I want, and I hope more men will see it as a viable option.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nAs myths give way to facts and more men like Richard share their stories, vasectomy could finally earn its place in Kenya\u2019s family planning conversation.<\/p>\nBut for family planning interventions to succeed, hospitals must have constant medical supplies.<\/p>\nThe United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been instrumental in addressing these challenges. Through partnerships and outreach programs implemented by the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH), UNFPA has worked to increase access to family planning services, including vasectomy.<\/p>\nIn Kenya, UNFPA is championing a broad spectrum of family planning methods to empower individuals and promote reproductive health. Through a comprehensive approach, it provides access to contraceptives, non-invasive methods and crucial information about fertility and family planning options.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nThese initiatives include providing vasectomy kits and other supplies through the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) which uses i-LMIS<\/a> \u2013 the Integrated Logistics Management Information System, which has proved to be a game changer in the supplies and stocks management of medical commodities in public hospitals in Kenya.<\/p>\nRead more on i-LMIS<\/a>:<\/p>\n\nHow KEMSA\u2019s i-LMIS is transforming medical commodities stock and distribution<\/a>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 16 \u2013 For Richard Kilundo, a 55-year-old Nursing Officer at Lunga Lunga Sub-County Hospital, family planning is not just a professional responsibility\u2014it\u2019s deeply personal. A father of three grown children aged 26, 24, and 19, Richard knew he didn\u2019t want any more children as he approached retirement. \u201cThe economy is tough, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105403\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/www.capitalfm.co.ke\/news\/files\/2024\/12\/chart-2.jpeg\"){kind=link}
![<\/a><\/p>\nAs myths give way to facts and more men like Richard share their stories, vasectomy could finally earn its place in Kenya\u2019s family planning conversation.<\/p>\nBut for family planning interventions to succeed, hospitals must have constant medical supplies.<\/p>\nThe United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been instrumental in addressing these challenges. Through partnerships and outreach programs implemented by the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH), UNFPA has worked to increase access to family planning services, including vasectomy.<\/p>\nIn Kenya, UNFPA is championing a broad spectrum of family planning methods to empower individuals and promote reproductive health. Through a comprehensive approach, it provides access to contraceptives, non-invasive methods and crucial information about fertility and family planning options.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nThese initiatives include providing vasectomy kits and other supplies through the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) which uses i-LMIS<\/a> \u2013 the Integrated Logistics Management Information System, which has proved to be a game changer in the supplies and stocks management of medical commodities in public hospitals in Kenya.<\/p>\nRead more on i-LMIS<\/a>:<\/p>\n\nHow KEMSA\u2019s i-LMIS is transforming medical commodities stock and distribution<\/a>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 16 \u2013 For Richard Kilundo, a 55-year-old Nursing Officer at Lunga Lunga Sub-County Hospital, family planning is not just a professional responsibility\u2014it\u2019s deeply personal. A father of three grown children aged 26, 24, and 19, Richard knew he didn\u2019t want any more children as he approached retirement. \u201cThe economy is tough, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105403\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/www.capitalfm.co.ke\/news\/files\/2024\/12\/chart-3.jpeg\"){kind=link}
![<\/a><\/p>\nThese initiatives include providing vasectomy kits and other supplies through the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) which uses i-LMIS<\/a> \u2013 the Integrated Logistics Management Information System, which has proved to be a game changer in the supplies and stocks management of medical commodities in public hospitals in Kenya.<\/p>\nRead more on i-LMIS<\/a>:<\/p>\n\nHow KEMSA\u2019s i-LMIS is transforming medical commodities stock and distribution<\/a>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 16 \u2013 For Richard Kilundo, a 55-year-old Nursing Officer at Lunga Lunga Sub-County Hospital, family planning is not just a professional responsibility\u2014it\u2019s deeply personal. A father of three grown children aged 26, 24, and 19, Richard knew he didn\u2019t want any more children as he approached retirement. \u201cThe economy is tough, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105403"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105403\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/www.capitalfm.co.ke\/news\/files\/2024\/12\/chart-5.jpeg\"){kind=link}