At 21 years old, Octavio decided to have a “no-scalpel” vasectomy, a permanent, minimally invasive contraceptive method that is increasing in the country. The Ministry of Health carries out, on average, between 10,000 and 15,000 procedures annually nationwide, while the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) reported an increase of 66.5 percent between 2018 and 2022, going from 28,478 to 47,455 interventions.
The National Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health (Cnegsr) of the Ministry of Health indicates that this demand is increasing despite stigmas and myths that still exist, such as repercussions on sexual performance, deformation of the reproductive system, decrease and consistency of ejaculation, among others.
The National Demographic Dynamics Survey (Enadid) 2023 of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography reported that 3.7 percent of the 18.6 million sexually active women of childbearing age prefer that their partners have a vasectomy to protect themselves from an unwanted pregnancy.
After having the procedure performed, today at 25 years old, Octavio He claims to feel happy with his condition. “The idea of having surgery arose when I was 17 or 18. Three years was a long time to process it and when the operation was completed I felt good,” he says.
The procedure he underwent consists of a small puncture in the skin of the scrotal sac, after applying local anesthesia, above the testicles to ligate and cut the vas deferens, which is where the sperm pass. These continue to be produced, but are absorbed by the body. The surgery is outpatient and recovery time is only a few weeks.
Octavio explains that she does not want to have children; “It is due to a certain family past. For me the most pertinent decision was the vasectomy,” he says.
They treated him at the IMSS. “The only thing that was complicated for me is that, moments before the operation, the doctor in charge asked me three times, perhaps because of my age, if I was sure about doing the operation. At his insistence, I firmly assured him of my decision.”
Octavio He is one of the many young people who increasingly refuse to have children and go to public health institutes to perform this procedure. In the case of men, the majority decide not to have children or postpone parenthood due to the high cost of living, lack of stable employment and economic insecurity, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
For its part, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) explained that some of the main reasons men have for not having children are the perception that there are no conditions to provide them with a dignified life, personal priorities and life goals, such as completing education, acquiring stability first and meeting goals before considering it.
According to Inegi, in 2024, the number of births in Mexico decreased 8.6 percent compared to the previous year, resulting in 1,672,227 births, the lowest figure since 2020.
“I am open to whatever. Not having children is the main thing, I am not closed to perhaps adopting at some point. It has been something that has interfered in some relationships, but I am very clear about it. I do not want and I do not plan to have children,” he concludes. Octavio.
