【2009 Archives】

009 ArchivesWorld Vasectomy Organization has taken an unexpected step in its efforts to promote sterilization in Kenya -- by livestreaming the process on Facebook.

A series of operations were performed by doctors on a stage at the Kenyan National Theater in Nairobi Friday. They took place behind a curtain and were streamed online in an effort to banish stereotypes about masculinity, according to BBC News.

Some 150 men were booked in to take part in the 20-minute procedures.

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From the theatrics of the stage to the music, the event was all about creating a warm and festive atmosphere for Kenyans to visit and find out about vasectomies and family planning.

"While there are people who still believe that a vasectomy ‘diminishes my manhood,' we don’t see it that way," the organization states on its website. "Indeed, we believe nothing feels less manly than having a child you are not prepared to receive, or worse, not having the resources to provide for your children in a way that reflects your values."

The International World Vasectomy Day organization promotes the procedure as a method of birth control and calls it #AnActOfLove. It's also pretty upfront about the realities of the procedure, saying reversals are more costly and that it's still important to wear a condom to protect against STDs.

If you support #vasectomy then support World Vasectomy Day. We are based in #Kenya this year. #AnActOfLove https://t.co/mNsnizzoAT

— World Vasectomy Day (@WorldVasDay) November 18, 2016

After the livestream, a Q&A session addressed the concerns of men and promoted vasectomies as an effective, safe means of family planning.

"Many men have this perception that vasectomy causes a man to turn into a woman," Dr. Jack Zhang, a Canadian doctor at the event, told the BBC. "Some men fear that in Africa there's a high mortality rate so they need to have more children."

Some of the men participating at the event were wary of the costs of having a family, or a larger one, while others said they were doing it for their partners.

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