Mardangi vs Vasectomy—Who Wins? | Health Wealth S2 Ep 22

How do we respond to “When are you having kids?” What happens when birth control stops being 'her problem' and starts being a two-person plan? And is Is family planning only about how to avoid having babies? Join me and Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, Population Foundation of India, as we flip the script—beginning at the pharmacy counter. We talk awkward stares, poor privacy, and why something as simple as buying condoms still feels complicated. From there, we go straight to the 'snip' myths: no, vasectomy doesn’t kill desire or manhood—and yes, men deserve real counselling, not rumours. Muttreja makes the case for training counsellors to talk to men, building couple check-ins that feel supportive (not clinical), and sharing the mental load—who buys, who books, who follows up. Even in 2025, the hard truth remains that India’s birth control mix is still dominated by permanent female sterilisation: invasive, pushed on women, and too often framed as the only path. But if you’ve ever wondered what equitable contraception could look like in India and why the male role makes a significant difference to it, this episode is your guide: practical, stigma-free, and centred on consent. Above all, we end where it matters most—free, informed choice about the family you wish to have, or not. Tune in ! Produced by Taniya Dutta