Vasectomy: the burden African men shy from and regard as ‘taboo’

Dr Douglas Stein of No-Scalpel Vasectomy International with a patient at the Family Health Options clinic, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

When Samuel Gatenjwa wanted a contraceptive method, he and his wife made a major decision and settled on vasectomy, a procedure that sends shivers down men's spines.

Mr Gatenjwa's decision on March 23, 2004 contradicts the long-held perception that the use of contraceptive as a family planning method in Kenya and other African nations is a burden largely shouldered by women.