As we look back on what WVD accomplished in 2025, I feel a renewed sense of admiration for our small but mighty staff, amazement at the sheer breadth of activities undertaken this year, and deep appreciation for how far the organization has grown over the past 13 years. At every stage of this growth, one truth remains constant: WVD’s impact is driven by doctors, by their leadership, generosity, and commitment to quality care.
Quality of care remains at the heart of WVD’s mission, and nowhere was that more evident than in our clinical training efforts. Silvana Resendy Birhuett, Regional Director for Latin America and the WVD Academy, along with her dedicated team, organized intensive vasectomy training missions in El Salvador, Argentina, and Zambia provided by our remarkable group of expert physician trainers: Dr. Michel Labrecque, Dr. Esgar Guarin, Dr. John Curington, Dr. Eloisa Gonzalez, and Dr. Alex Galante, who trained more than a dozen new doctors. Equally important, in all three countries, previously trained physicians were elevated to become trainers themselves. This physician-led, peer-to-peer model ensures that high-quality vasectomy programs will continue to expand long after WVD missions conclude.
One of the year’s most significant accomplishments was the publication of the WVD Vasectomy Training Manual and its accompanying Guide for Trainers. This landmark effort, led by Dr. Michel Labrecque and Dr. Esgar Guarin, reflects years of clinical experience and collaboration. The manuals were strengthened by contributions from an outstanding group of physicians, including Dr. John Curington, Dr. Eloisa Gonzalez, Dr. Melanie Savard-Côté, Dr. Chris Tonozzi, Dr. Alex Galante, and Dr. Mary Samplaski. These resources represent a lasting gift from doctors to doctors, raising standards of care worldwide.
WVD continued to engage physicians, medical students, family planning experts, and midwives through our quarterly webinar series, once again emphasizing education led by clinicians. In 2025, we hosted three webinars, all accredited through Laval University in Quebec.
- March: “Rights at Risk” attracted 511 registrants and was moderated by Maria Fernanda Cepeda. Presenters included Milka Dinev (FOROLAC), Maria Paula Martinez (FP2030 LAC), Sandra Vasquez (FUSA), Kellie Welborn (ICFP Steering Committee / Gates Institute), Edith Mwenge (USAID / JHpiego), and Maria Eugenia Montesinos, President of the NYC Midwives Association.
- June: “The History of No-Scalpel Vasectomy” drew 622 registrants and was moderated by Dr. Chic Wilson, with presentations from three global masters of the technique: Dr. Diana Torres (Colombia), Dr. Philip Li (United States), and Dr. Ramchandra Kaza (India).
- September: “Everything You Wanted to Know About Vasectomy and Sex but Were Afraid to Ask” was moderated by Rebecca Porter, Managing Director of BlueKit Medical. Presenters included Anne Philpott (The Pleasure Project), Dr. A.S. Naomi Sutton (UK), Dr. Sarah Miller (United States), and Dr. Ramiro Fragas Valdés.
From November 3–6, WVD was well represented at the International Conference on Family Planning 2025, where we presented three papers. It was wonderful to see a general growth of interest in our work and the importance of male engagement in sexual and reproductive health and much credit was given to our organization. In addition, on the eve of the event, we were able to share a sneak preview of our soon-to-be-released film, SNIP TRIP. The film documents Dr. Esgar Guarin’s journey through the heartland of America in the nation’s only mobile vasectomy clinic, once again highlighting how physician leadership brings innovation directly to communities.
On November 8, in La Plata, Argentina, as part of the WVD annual event, WVD hosted its Sixth Annual Vasectomy Summit for Doctors and Medical Students. This year, we proudly welcomed first-time presenters, including Dr. Robert Kachacha (Zambia), Dr. Pablo Pizzi (Chile), and Dra. Ana Cepeda, Gisela Stablun, and Victoria Heredia, (all from Argentina) and Dr. Nick Demediuk (Australia), demonstrating the growing global community of doctors shaping the future of vasectomy care.
As always, WVD’s greatest strength lies in its extraordinary doctors, those who generously share their knowledge, mentor their peers, uphold the highest standards of care, and, in doing so, change the lives of thousands of families around the world. Everything we accomplished in 2025 was made possible by them.
