A non-government sexual health provider in Papua New Guinea says vasectomy procedures could prevent land ownership disputes.
The Marie Stopes organisation facilitated 1200 vasectomies in PNG last year and is aiming to increase that number to 1700 this year.
A spokesperson, Maarten van de Reep, says land is an important commodity in PNG and having a lot of children is a burden on land inheritance.
"If your father has a plot of land that is of a particular size it makes a difference whether he has to split it in three or if he has to split it in six. So the sons get left with less land the more children the father has.'
Maarten van de Reep says the procedure is only recommended to men who are sure they have reached their desired family size.
Melanesia has a burgeoning youth population. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
