THE NUMBER of No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) cases doubled in the first half of this year compared to the records for the same period in 2025, data from the Davao City Population Office showed.
Office head Jerrielyn Lewis reported 254 NSV acceptors from January to June, up from 128 clients documented during the same six-month period in 2025. This brings the current monthly average to 32 acceptors.
“Gamay siya nga figure kung tan-awon, pero kami nagsugod ni sa tulo ka acceptor kada bulan. So, imagine ang iyang progress. And before, kinahanglan pa gyud mi mag-conduct ug daghan kaayong IEC sa community para lang naa mi acceptor sa kalalakin-an,” Lewis said.
Lewis also attributed the rising participation to expanded outreach in male-dominated workplaces, alongside an increased service schedule.
The CHO now conducts NSV operations twice a month to accommodate growing demand, a shift from its earlier schedule of once per month.
Lewis said this is due to Davao City being the only local government unit in Mindanao that provides free NSV services, complete with postoperative medications and free follow-up semen analysis.
Non-residents account for approximately 15 to 25 percent of the city’s total clients, drawing patients from across Mindanao and as far as Cebu.
She noted that male involvement in family planning has evolved from active community recruitment to voluntary inquiries.
Clients range from as young as 19 to those in their 20s and older men, while motivations vary. Single men often cite family background and current economic conditions, while married men are typically driven by financial concerns and a desire to stop having more children.
Health experts emphasize that NSV offers key advantages over traditional female sterilizations like tubal ligation for women.
While ligation requires an operating room setup, six-layer abdominal incisions, spinal anesthesia, and lengthy recovery, NSV is a non-invasive procedure taking 10 to 15 minutes.
Clients can also return to sedentary work immediately and resume normal activities after three to five days of rest.
Lewis reminded clients that vasectomy requires a three-month waiting period and a verified zero-spermatozoa lab test before relying on it as a primary contraceptive method.
She pointed out that men’s health-seeking behavior continues to lag behind women’s, so the push for NSV is part of a broader effort to involve men in reproductive health and to instill better health-seeking habits among them.
