DKT International Sponsors World Vasectomy Day (WVD) at the 2018 International Conference on Family Planning

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DKT International, one of the world's largest family planning organizations, is proud to announce its strategic partnership with the 2018 World Vasectomy Day (WVD) being celebrated from November 14-16. This year's WVD overlaps with the International Conference On Family Planning in Kigali, Rwanda and in coordination with participating 50+ countries worldwide. This WVD marks the 6^th annual celebration of voluntary male participation in family planning.

"A large part of DKT's mission is to raise awareness of how critical family planning is to the social, economic and even environmental sustainability of all countries," says Chris Purdy, CEO of DKT. "And while contraceptives help both men and women to be proactive in deciding when and how many children they would like to have, vasectomies are another option—one that we at DKT certainly stand behind."

Chris Purdy will kick off global celebrations at the WVD Press Conference on November 14 from 11:45 am-12:45 pm, highlighting why the involvement of men in family planning is so important and the significance of breaking the stigma surrounding vasectomies. The press conference will also feature Rwandan doctor and family planning expert Dr. Anicet Nzabonimpa, WVD 2016 Kenya host Dr. Charles Ochieng, and WVD co founder and Executive Director, Jonathan Stack.

Additional WVD activities include:

1. Youth Breakout Session (during Youth Pre-Conference): An interactive session on how to produce clever media that engages men in family planning.
   Date: November 11, 10:45 am – 12:00 pm
2. Poster Presentation: "Young media-smart adults can engage social networks in promoting method uptake of vasectomy." WVD will present a 3D presentation using virtual reality technology.
   Date: November 13, 2:00 pm – 3:45 pm
3. Oral Presentations: Three WVD-related oral presentations will be delivered at the conference, including research done in Mexico and Kenya on the heels of their headquarters WVD event in 2017 and 2016, respectively.
   Dates: November 13-14
4. WVD Booth: Attendees can experience virtual reality videos, learn more about vasectomies, record interviews, and link to WVD activities in NYC, Seattle, and the Philippines.
   Date: November 14, all day in the main conference hall
5. Facebook Live: WVD will host a 20-minute Facebook Live presentation about the taboo surrounding discussion of population issues within family planning, and about the benefits of engaging in this difficult conversation.
   Date: November 14, 2:00 pm- 2:30 pm
6. Sidebar Event: To officially conclude the November 14 WVD celebrations, the sidebar event will feature speeches by Chris Purdy, Dr. Anicet Nzabonimpa, Dr. Charles Ochieng and others. A live-vasectomy will be skyped in from Dr. Charles Wilson in Seattle.
   Date: November 14, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

At last year's WVD event in Mexico, almost 7,000 men stepped up and had a vasectomy. WVD has set the bar high this year with a goal of 10,000 vasectomies worldwide, some of which will be live-streamed.

World Vasectomy Day was founded by two-time Academy Award-nominated, four-time Emmy-winning, and Sundance Grand Jury Prize filmmaker Jonathan Stack. Despite its name, WVD's impact reverberates beyond one day of observance. It is an ongoing social media communications project that unites men, vasectomy providers, public and private health care stakeholders, global sponsors, and Ministries of Health and Public Planning in a mission to encourage men to take an active role in family planning and demonstrate an option to accomplish that.

Stack reminds us, "Today, with more than 1,200 participating doctors, we are the largest male-focused family planning event in the world. But we do not measure our success only by numbers of vasectomies done, but by the quality of the conversations we inspire."

"Family planning is something that unites us," adds Purdy. "It's about offering children a better life – a concept that transcends culture, economics, politics, gender and religion. The act of getting a vasectomy can give men the power to take control of the well being of their families and even the future of their countries, and this is invaluable."

Founded in 1989, DKT International, a registered, non-profit organization, is one of the largest private providers of family planning products and services in the developing world, focusing the power of social marketing on some of the largest countries with the greatest needs for family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention and safe abortion. In 2017 DKT helped avert an estimated 7.6 million unintended pregnancies, 4.6 million unsafe abortions, 14,600 maternal deaths, and 54,000 child deaths.

Founded in 2012, World Vasectomy Day, Inc. is a registered non-profit with a commitment to use traditional and social media to engage men as positive partners on the planet. Run by documentary filmmakers and communications experts, it is a media-driven effort to engage men in the timely and increasingly critical conversation around reproductive rights and family planning.

SOURCE DKT International

Related Links

https://www.dktinternational.org

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