Increasing the availability of vasectomy in public-sector clinics.
A program designed to improve the availability of vasectomy in public-sector clinics trained physicians at 43 facilities in no-scalpel vasectomy between 1993 and 1995. Among the 38 clinics that responded to a follow-up survey in 1996, the number of clinics providing vasectomies rose from 23 to 32, an increase of almost 40%, while the number of vasectomies performed rose by 18%. Seventeen of the 32 clinics performed more vasectomies after the training; 10 of the 17 had not previously provided the procedure. In-depth interviews with staff from seven sites that experienced large caseload increases and from seven that experienced decreases identified three elements for the successful establishment or expansion of vasectomy services-sufficient numbers of trained providers, funds to subsidize vasectomies for men who cannot afford them and activities to raise awareness about the availability of low-cost or free vasectomy.
Haws
J M
JM
AVSC International, New York, USA.
McKenzie
M
M
Mehta
M
M
Pollack
A E
AE
D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D008489:Medical Indigency; D008503:Medical Staff / Q000193:education; D015397:Program Evaluation; D017150:Public Sector; D014659:Vasectomy / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016526:Workload