India Special: Trade Vasectomy for Faster Gun License
I just had to search for this link after reading the story on News of the Weird. Basically, this is a population control effort in rural India that will streamline the gun license process for men who undergo vasectomies. The thinking: getting a gun, a “male status symbol,” faster makes up for the medical procedure that many men equate with decreased “manliness.”
I’m not quite sure how to approach this one, really.
Horror over this idea?
Gun ownership = Manliness
This formula?
Increased gun ownership + Area known for violence = Really bad idea
On the other hand, I’m reading this story with Western eyes, and the streamlined process does not guarantee an actual gun license. Plus, the results so far: 139 men in the region have undergone vasectomies in just one month, while only seven were sterilized during the entire year of 2007. That’s seven total.
Male Hormones = Therapy for Women?
In other testosterone-related news, a recent study shows male hormone therapy strengthened bones in older men, and now the obvious next research group is being considered. Menopausal women, who face a higher risk of osteoporosis than men, may benefit from testosterone, too.
Did You Know You Can Be Dyslexic in One Language but Not Another?
I didn’t.
Apparently, the phenomenon stems from the way different language systems involve different skills, partially explaining why dyslexics tend to make good computer programmers, too.
