Spotlight on Vasectomy Access and Uptake in South Africa

This report represents exploratory consultative work in the area of vasectomy awareness, uptake and provision in South Africa and seeks to strengthen a regional discussion on shared contraceptive responsibility as a gender transformative approach.

In response to the need to further explore vasectomy as a viable contraceptive option for South African men and their partners, Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke) in partnership with AIDS Accountability International (AAI), held two think thank meetings in May 2014 in Cape Town and Johannesburg to discuss and debate the national agenda on vasectomy. Participants consisted of service providers, research and advocacy networks and various stakeholders affiliated with the policy and practice of vasectomy. Both Sonke and AAI chose to follow an open plan approach to the consultation process in order to ensure that it had no pre-determined outcome. We assumed a largely facilitative role that in the end enabled the representatives of the various invited organisations to freely express their views and share their own experiences with regards to issues on vasectomy in South Africa and the work being done in the region.