A set of Prof Li Shunqiang's 'No scalpel
vasectomy' instruments. Lent by Kendra
Sundquist, Family Planning NSW.

Current trends in contraception

The 1990s is perhaps the first decade in which most sexually active couples in the world have used some form of contraception. Patterns of use differ between countries, of course. Even in Australia there are differences between groups with different cultural or socio-economic backgrounds.

Some people use contraception to prevent or delay starting a family; other couples tend to have the number of children they want early and then choose long-term contraception, such as an IUD, or sterilisation. This is similar to the pattern in developing countries where sterilisation is common.

Sterilisation has become more popular as a form of contraception since better methods for both sexes were developed in the 1970s. For women, 'having the tubes tied' these days involves minimally invasive surgery ('keyhole' surgery). For men, vasectomy is a short and simple operation. Professor Li Shunqiang from China has made it even simpler for health workers in developing countries by devising a procedure called 'no scalpel vasectomy'.

We act as if we had unlimited time and as if we lived in splendid isolation in a separate world. The price for our myopic perception of global population problems will be a high one which the next generation will have to pay.
Carl Djerassi, US scientist, 1979.

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