Barriers to vasectomy acceptance and uptake in Nigeria: a review of the literature

Abstract

There is growing support of male involvement in reproductive health and the integration of voluntary vasectomy services into national family planning programs in lower resource contexts; yet, the prevalence of women of reproductive age who rely on vasectomy in African countries such as Nigeria, is less than 1 percent. We conducted this review to gain a broader understanding of current sociocultural and health systems’ conditions that need to be addressed to expand the integration and acceptability of vasectomy as an option for family planning in Nigeria. To explore this, we scoped existing literature on vasectomy in Nigeria between 2009 to 2021. Findings reveal that there is a strong awareness of vasectomy among men in Nigeria. Yet, several factors prevent men from having the same confidence in vasectomy as they have in female biomedical methods. Three significant themes emerged: 1) fear; 2) religious and cultural beliefs, which overlapped with fear; and 3) access to health providers and health facilities. These findings have implications for future family planning policies, strategies and programmes in the country.