Knowledge and perception of vasectomy among resident doctors at 5 teaching hospitals in Nigeria: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

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Background: Vasectomy, a form of fertility control, is an elective surgical procedure performed to achieve male sterilization and pregnancy prevention. Often conducted by urologists as a day case, vasectomy is among the few contraceptive options available for men. Despite various pregnancy prevention methods, male participation in family planning is frequently overlooked, possibly due to inadequate knowledge, perceptions, or bias among health practitioners who advise clients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among resident doctors in Nigeria.

Results: The study had 218 respondents: 169 men (77.5%) and 49 women (22.5%), with a male-to-female ratio of 3.4:1. The age range was 26 to 51 years (mean, 32.85±9.5 years ). The largest proportion of participants (n=101, 46.3%) were from surgical departments. Most respondents (n=204, 93.6%) acknowledged vasectomy as a permanent contraception form, and 213 (97.7%) had heard about vasectomy. Overall, 140 respondents (64.2%) demonstrated good knowledge, particularly those working in surgical departments. A majority (n=123, 56.4%) had positive perceptions towards vasectomy, with women being 3 times less likely to have a negative perception. However, the overall acceptability rate was low, with only about 40% willing to recommend it to patients.

Conclusions: While there is a considerable level of knowledge about vasectomy among resident doctors in our setting, misconceptions persist. Acceptance and willingness to recommend vasectomy to clients are low. There is a need for strategies to correct these misconceptions to increase vasectomy utilization.