This rate represented phenomenal population growth and was aided by changes in the law such as allowing girls to be married as young as nine years of age. By the late 1980s and early 1990s the Iranian government realized that the costs of this burgeoning population were going to far exceed its capacity to provide adequate food, education, housing and employment. Consequently, it embarked on an ambitious program of family planning to counter the mistakes of past government policy. The result has been an amazingly successful family planning program that has won worldwide praise for its ingenuity. The procedure is preceded by a 30-minute video and a personal counseling session.
Vasectomies are free and available at permanent and mobile facilities nationwide.
The increased use of vasectomy in Iran also indicates willingness on the part of men there to take responsibility for implications of sex, both on a personal and societal level. After the procedure, many Iranian men have stated that they prefer vasectomies to withdrawal as a method of family planning and feel that the procedure has improved their relationships with their wives. Surgeons agree and explain that vasectomies liberate sex life and a wife's love for her husband because he had the procedure out of concern for her health. These efforts are supported throughout the country by all levels of society. Iran's family planning program is comprehensive, offering Norplant, condoms, IUDs, the pill and sterilization, all at no cost.