CHENNAI: Sterilisation in Tamil Nadu remains an overwhelmingly female burden, with men accounting for just two out of every 1,000 procedures performed across the state.
As per official data, in 2025-26 financial year, Tamil Nadu recorded 2.15 lakh tubectomies compared to just 426 No-Scalpel Vasectomies (NSV) performed on men — a participation rate of just 0.2%.
While NSV numbers had shown a gradual rise from 863 in 2021-22 to 1,304 in 2022-23, peaking at 1,357 in 2023-24, they have since declined sharply to 659 in 2024-25 and further to 426 this year, a drop of 35% within a year.
Female sterilisation figures, too, have been on the decline, from 2,54,702 in 2023-24 to 2,27,438 in 2024-25 and 2,15,825 this year.
Health experts point out that NSV is a simpler, safer and quicker procedure compared to tubectomy. It is typically performed under local anaesthesia, takes less than 30 minutes, and involves minimal recovery time after the procedure.
A senior health department official told TNIE that acceptance of male sterilisation has historically been low and has declined further over the past two years, in line with falling female sterilisation rates.
Health department officials attribute this broader trend to Tamil Nadu’s declining fertility rate.
‘Men reluctant as they wrongly fear vasectomy may lead to impotency’
“The total fertility rate in Tamil Nadu is now 1.3, well below the replacement level of 2.1,” the official said, noting that fewer couples now require permanent contraceptive methods.
However, officials also cite social factors. “One of the main barriers is that women themselves are reluctant to allow men to undergo the procedure,” the official added.
Field staff indicated that, with both fertility and birth rates declining, they have been informally encouraged to promote temporary contraceptive methods over permanent ones.
Information, education and communication activities around sterilisation have also reduced, potentially contributing to the falling numbers.
Some districts, however, have recorded relatively better uptake where local administrations have actively promoted the procedure. Tiruvallur, for instance, reported 20 NSV procedures in 2025–26, higher than most districts, aided by an enhanced incentive scheme.
In addition to the government’s Rs 1,100, the district administration provides an extra Rs 3,900, taking the total incentive to Rs 5,000, said J Thirumala, District Extension Educator, Family Welfare Department.
Medical professionals continue to stress the advantages of NSV. Dr K Keerthi, an NSV surgeon at the Government Headquarters Hospital in Walajapet, Ranipet district, said the procedure takes just 15-20 minutes, requires no anaesthesia, involves no blood loss and does not necessitate hospitalisation. In contrast, tubectomy requires hospital admission, involves sutures and blood loss, and may require up to a month for recovery.
“The failure rate for vasectomy is just 0.01%, compared to 0.1% for tubectomy,” Keerthi said.
Despite these benefits, misconceptions persist. Many men fear that the procedure may lead to impotence, a claim doctors firmly refute. As a result, men typically come forward only when their wives are medically unfit to undergo surgery.
“Men need to develop the mindset that they can undergo sterilisation for their partners. Unless this changes, NSV uptake will continue to decline,” the doctor said.
NSV safer, done with local anaesthesia
Health experts point out that No-Scalpel Vasectomies (NSV) is a simpler, safer and quicker procedure compared to tubectomy. It is performed under local anaesthesia, and involves minimal recovery time after the procedure