DAVAO CITY — The Davao City Health Office, through its Population Division, recorded an increase in the acceptance rate of its No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) among the city’s male population.

From January to September, the Population Division served 104 clients who availed themselves of the non-invasive NSV, significantly higher than the 89 clients served in January to October of 2023.

Jerrielyn Lewis, head of the Population Division, said that their office has seen an increase in the number of clients who availed of the free NSV this year compared to the same period last year.

Since 2008, the city has been offering free NSV to Dabawenyos as a permanent family planning method with a procedure that takes no more than 15 minutes and requires minimal aftercare.

“Every month, we have acceptors including those from other places like Cebu who come here to Davao to get a vasectomy,” Lewis added.

Of the 104 clients, at least 15 of these are either foreigners or from different cities or municipalities.

Lewis said that they offer the NSV not only to Dabawenyos but also to those living outside the city who are interested of their services.

She added that their office continues to conduct information education campaigns to the city’s male population to cascade necessary details on the importance of male involvement in reproductive health.

“We also do lectures to men since our target population is the men in the community. It could be community-based or in male-dominated establishments. We hold information sessions where they could freely ask questions,” Lewis said.

She urged Dabawenyo men who no longer wish to have more children to avail of their free NSV services every last Friday of the month.