By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – The Davao City Health Office, through its Population Division, recorded a total of 279 individuals availing of the No-Scalpel Vasectomy service in 2025, more than double the 126 acceptors documented in 2024.
NSV is one of the permanent family planning options offered free of charge to Dabawenyos. Since the program’s launch in 2008, the office has served a cumulative total of 1,293 clients, NSV coordinator Justice Mindanao Rasgo said.
Rasgo explained that NSV is a minimally invasive procedure that takes only 10 to 15 minutes to complete and is considered safer than Bilateral Tubal Ligation. He added that the procedure requires minimal post-operative care and has an efficacy rate of 99.85 percent.
He reassured the public that NSV is safe and clarified that it is not equivalent to castration, which removes the testicles. He said NSV involves cutting and sealing the vas deferens—the tubes that carry sperm—while leaving the testicles intact and fully functional.
Rasgo said the procedure does not impact testosterone production, sexual drive, or secondary male characteristics.
To meet increasing demand, the Population Division now conducts NSV services at the Buhangin Vasectomy Center twice a month, up from the previous once-a-month schedule. For January, sessions are set on January 16 and 30.
Rasgo advised that interested individuals should avoid walk-ins to allow proper counseling, which is essential for selecting the family planning method best suited for each person.
Those who wish to avail of the free NSV service may coordinate with the Population Division via its official Facebook page at City Population Office of Davao, or visit the office on Camus Street in Davao City, or inquire through local health centers.
