Chinese Men Shy Away From Birth Control

Procreation is a common pursuit of men and women. But how many men do their part when it comes to contraception? Statistical data implies that men in China do not regard avoidance of unwanted pregnancies as their responsibility. A sample survey using data on contraception from the National Population and Family Planning Commission shows that the current rate of condom use across the country is just 4.9%; and that 37.5 million men have had vasectomies as compared to the 221.5 million women who have undergone tubal ligation.
National Family Planning Commission statistics also reveal that almost 90% of the responsibility among couples of childbearing age for taking contraceptive measures is assumed by women, as compared to 11.3% by men, including the 7.39% that undergo vas deferens contraceptive surgery and the 5.72% that use condoms. Family planning experts are now calling on men to take due responsibility for birth control and preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Whose Brief is Contraception?
Are women solely responsible for avoiding unwanted pregnancies? Why is it that men are generally loath to shoulder the birth control burden? Wu Weixiong, head of Guangzhou Institute of Population and Family Planning Sciences, said that people in China hold to the deep-rooted traditional concept that as fertility is a prime concern of women, so too is contraception. These misconceptions are difficult to dispel.
Psychology also has impact on male reluctance to tangle with contraception. As many men mistakenly equate vasectomy with castration, those that choose vasectomy as a method of birth control account for less than one tenth of all men that practice birth control. Just 3%-5% percent of men in Guangzhou take long-term birth control measures -- lower by far than the national average.
Wu also points out that men's apparent indifference to birth control could be attributed to the comparatively fewer contraceptive measures available to them. Women choose from among 40 types of internal devices and oral medication, whereas men have the choice of either condoms or vasectomy. Experts consider that oral hormonal contraception is likely to be that most widely promoted in the next few years, but are pessimistic about its potential for men.
A Man Should Take Responsibility for His Sex Life
　
The Family Planning Regulations of Guangdong Province advise women of childbearing age with one child to use intrauterine contraceptive devices, and either the wife or husband in a couple with two children to undergo sterilization. Both are safe and effective contraceptive measures that safeguard women's health. In recent years, the proportion of men opting for vasectomies has declined and those using condoms risen, according to Wu Weixiong. He goes on to explain that most contemporary urban couples of childbearing age have only one child, and that as there is a risk of an offspring dying during the course of growing up, urban parents generally do not undergo sterilization.
Wu Weixiong is a strong advocate of condoms, both to avoid conception and prevent sexually transmitted diseases. They can, Wu says, also be of help in preventing premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.
As the youth of today born in the early 80's and late 70's have reached their peak of fertility, contraception is a matter they must now come to terms with. Wu Weixiong strongly advises couples to consider carefully the method of contraception that best suits them-a tacit