Vasectomy services in Leitrim to get the snip

Planned cutbacks to Leitrim vasectomy services will “disempower men.”

That's according to leading family planning expert, Dr John O'Keeffe, who is calling on the HSE to reverse the planned cutbacks.

The call comes as the national vasectomy services contract - entitling anyone with a medical card access to a vasectomy - is due to end in August this year.

The implementation of a new geographically limited HSE GMS contract for public vasectomy services effectively removes the service for patients in Leitrim, Donegal, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Kildare, West Wicklow, Southwest Dublin, and North Dublin.

According to the doctor, who has performed over 20,000 vasectomies over his forty year career, the change will effectively mean implementing a vasectomy post code lottery.

He said, “The new Government Contraception Scheme, which is very welcome, is available to all women between 17 and 25 but we are now disempowering men to take control of contraception.

“With the removal of the national contract, we now have a Vasectomy Post Code Lottery, where a medical card holder in Carrickboy can have a vasectomy on his medical card but for a man in a similar situation in Carrick-on-Shannon it won’t be covered.

“We need a system where there’s equal access to vasectomies in Carrick-on-Shannon and Carrickboy.”
Contracted in 1997 as one of four GPs to deliver vasectomies nationally, Dr O'Keeffe is now the last remaining doctor from the original cohort to deliver the service.

The original contract will now end with Dr O'Keeffe's retirement.

He said, “Over four decades, I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact these services have on individuals and families. It is of utmost importance that the HSE recognises the significance of maintaining the existing level of access to vasectomy services for the well-being and reproductive health of our communities. It is deeply disappointing that an essential national service is being restricted due to the retirement of a single individual.

“I feel strongly that protecting and preserving the current level of access to services is of critical importance. We have been engaging with the HSE on vasectomy access for many years now, unfortunately without success. Public Hospitals are already under pressure without having to take on the burden of providing elective vasectomy surgery, which can be successfully and easily provided in a community setting. Moreover, the cost to the taxpayer will rise from €462 to €2000 per vasectomy,” he said.

An estimated 10,000 vasectomies are carried out nationally every year, of which approximately 35% are carried out on the medical card.

Just over one third of those will no longer have access to a vasectomy with the removal of the national contract.