( CNN ) -- I met Dr. Doug Stein while making a documentary about my own complex journey through fatherhood . His vasectomy missions to Third World countries inspired me to launch both a movement and to become his 25,000th client . I have made many films around the world about angry and alienated men who , lacking positive ways to express their innate power and potential , inflict brutality on women and children . In contrast , observing men on the day they make a conscious choice to exit the gene pool reveals the sex 's vulnerability and thoughtfulness . To transform this positive choice into a global movement , Stein and I created the first World Vasectomy Day in 2013 -- and set out to inspire 100 doctors in 25 countries to do 1,000 vasectomies . From a medical perspective , a vasectomy is a simple procedure that takes about 15 minutes . The doctor severs the vas deferens and then seals up both ends , thus preventing sperm from reaching your semen . It has a less than 1 % failure rate , compared with 18 % for condoms , making it an important option for men whose families are complete . And yet , even though modern techniques require neither needle nor scalpel , and for the vast majority of men it takes only a few days to recover , it 's still a tough sell . Yes , there are places , like New Zealand , where 20 % of men choose vasectomies , but there are countries where the rate is less than 1 % . But if ease and effectiveness do n't convince a man of the benefits of vasectomy , there are many compelling sociological and health reasons as well . For example , 51 % of pregnancies in the United States are unintended , and these pregnancies come with adverse maternal and child health outcomes , such as delayed prenatal care and an increased risk of premature birth . Poverty and family are also correlated , with double the incidence of poverty in nine-member households than in four-member households . And with all the controversy surrounding abortion , there 's no better way to avoid one than a vasectomy . Sadly , while men waffle on the sidelines , more than 300 million women have had tubal ligations -- six times the number of men having vasectomies , even though tubal ligations are more invasive , costly and risky . While both procedures are almost equally effective , tubal failures can result in ectopic pregnancies , a leading cause of maternal mortality . With all these reasons , you 'd think for men who no longer wish to have children choosing a family planning option that is permanent , safe and secure would be a no-brainer . But if logic , guilt or fairness did the trick , we 'd be living on a planet much further away than Mars . The Swahili language uses the same word for `` vasectomy '' and `` castration '' and that sums up what so many men believe . And it 's not just men . Many women would agree with a friend of mine , who once suggested vasectomies change a man 's status from alpha male to alpha-lite . Fear and good information might get a man to wear a condom , but World Vasectomy Day needed compelling stories and there was no shortage of them . There were men who traveled hundreds of miles to have the procedure for their wives , and those who did it to help their children emerge from poverty . These men , who rise up and shoulder responsibility for family planning -- although still the minority -- serve as our inspiration . In my travels , I met men in their 20s who know they do n't want children and men in their 70s who do . There was an Iraq War veteran who asked , `` Why am I considered old enough to die or kill for my country , but not old enough to decide about children ? '' These are tough questions . Stein suggested he preserve some sperm . On World Vasectomy Day , we do n't decide who should or should not get a vasectomy , but we do insist that it be voluntary . We acknowledge there is a small chance that a vasectomy can cause long lasting pain , and we certainly have great sympathy for these men . A recent study also suggests a possible link between prostate cancer and vasectomies . It 's important to note that there are many other studies that suggest otherwise . The bottom line is that all methods of birth control come with some element of risk . The unfair part is that it 's women who take it on almost exclusively for one third of their lives . For all our efforts to inspire men , it was n't until we empowered the urologists and vasectomists who perform these procedures that our movement took off . Providing vasectomies is not easy or always accepted , but on Friday , there will be approximately 300 skilled doctors from 30 countries participating in what will be the largest male-oriented family planning event in history . What we learned in creating World Vasectomy Day bodes well for our future . Men reveal the best of who we are when we work together to serve a greater purpose , one that honors ourselves , our families and our future . The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author .
A doctor and filmmaker team up to create World Vasectomy Day . World Vasectomy Day encourages men to take responsibility for family planning . Score: 7