Doctors in Guangzhou have developed a new birth control method for men that could be made available to the public starting next year.
The surgery involves making a small incision along the testicles. Doctors then place a tiny tube, about the size of a match, into the opening.
The tube functions as a filter that blocks sperm, said Wu Weixiong, the director of Guangzhou Family Planning Technology Center.
The surgery has already been patented, and the health department will promote it as soon as it is approved by the National Food and Drug Administration.
"The success rate for this form of birth control is 97 percent," said Zhu Jiaming, vice president of the Guangzhou Sexology Association.
The tube can be removed without negatively affecting a man's sexual health, he said.
Wu said the operation takes just 10 minutes. However, it is very difficult and requires highly skilled doctors.
He said only a few hospitals have the staff and facilities necessary to carry out the procedure. However, training courses will soon be made available to local doctors.
Wu believes enough facilities and manpower would be available to handle the demand for such operations by the time the procedure is officially approved.
Research on the operation started four years ago in Beijing. It was led by the science and technology institute of the National Population and Family Planning Commission and Guangzhou family planning science and technology institute.
Wu said the technique was developed through more than 1,600 clinical trials all over the country. More than 500 men in Qingyuan, a city in Guangdong Province, already had the operation. All the trials were successful and none of the subjects experienced any side effects.
Zhu Jiaming said the operation costs just a few thousand yuan, which is affordable for most people in China.
"When the technique is available, couples will have one more option for birth control, and married women do not have to insert an intrauterine device (IUD) anymore," Zhu said.
A survey by the Guangzhou-based New Express Daily found that about 60 percent of Guangzhou residents welcomed the surgery and supported its promotion.
Questions:
1. In the procedure an incision is made in what part of the male body?
2. According to Zhu Jiaming what is the success rate of this birth control method?
3. When is the procedure expected to be available?
Answers:
1. Testicles.
2. 97%.
3. 2008.
（英语点津 Linda 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Marc Checkley is a freelance journalist and media producer from Auckland, New Zealand. Marc has an eclectic career in the media/arts, most recently working as a radio journalist for NewstalkZB, New Zealand’s leading news radio network, as a feature writer for Travel Inc, New Nutrition Business (UK) and contributor for Mana Magazine and the Sunday Star Times. Marc is also a passionate arts educator and is involved in various media/theatre projects in his native New Zealand and Singapore where he is currently based. Marc joins the China Daily with support from the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
