Uptake of Voluntary Surgical Contraception: A Five-Year Trend Analysis in Mobile Health Camps in Bardiya District, Nepal

Background: Voluntary surgical contraception is a permanent family planning method, but uptake patterns between male and female differ significantly. Despite being safe and cost-effective, male sterilization remains underutilized, while female sterilization is still the most common method. Thus, this study aimed to describe a five-year trend in VSC service uptake through mobile health camps in Bardiya district, Nepal. Methods: A retrospective descriptive trend analysis was conducted using register data of 1,506 clients who underwent VSC in mobile health camps between fiscal years 2020/21 and 2024/25. Socio-demographic characteristics and method choice (minilap vs vasectomy) were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS version 25. Five-year trend was visualized with line graphs. Result: Among 1506 clients over five years, minilap accounted for 97% of cases and vasectomy 3%. The mean age of client undergoing minilap and vasectomy were found to be 29 years and 37.2 years. Vasectomy was common in Brahmin/Chhetri (58.1%) and minilap was in Janjati women (79.3%). Most were literate and engaged in agriculture. Prior contraceptive use was 44.5%, and over half had one son and one daughter. Over the five years, both methods showed declining trends, with vasectomy uptake remaining low, indicating a gender gap. Conclusions: The uptake of vasectomy was very low, while minilap was significantly predominant. The overall declining trend in both methods highlights the need for targeted interventions, especially to address gender disparities and misconceptions regarding vasectomy.