More Men Opt for Vasectomies Amid Abortion Bans

Well before the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in June 2022 ended a federal right to abortion, there had been an increase in the number of vasectomies.

A study by the University of Chicago released in June found the annual vasectomy rate among privately insured men aged 18-64 in the U.S. increased 26% from 2014 to 2021. Even though 4% of men among the general population have had vasectomies, the study noted that healthcare providers should be prepared to perform the procedure more now that more states are restricting access to abortion.

A vasectomy is an outpatient surgical procedure to sterilize men, where the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles are either cut or tied to prevent sperm from leaving the body.

"We are anticipating increased consultations for vasectomy in our clinics," said urologist Dr. Omer Raheem, assistant professor of Surgery-Urology for the University of Chicago and the senior author of the study. "It is essential for healthcare providers to be aware of these trends and proactively offer vasectomy counseling and services to meet the growing needs of patients."

The researchers said they plan to analyze data post-Dobbs when it becomes available.

"Google Trends analyses, media outlets, and retrospective reviews of billing and electronic medical records from academic hospitals have suggested even greater interest in vasectomies after the overturning of Roe v. Wade," the study's authors wrote.

In February, Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky, said in a news release it was opening vasectomy services at its Hammond, Indiana, location with further plans to expand the service at three other locations in the state this year.

"Our vasectomy volume has gone up quite a bit," Dr. Grace Shih of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest and the University of Washington, told KIRO-TV in Seattle in December.

The Planned Parenthood affiliate reported a 34% increase in vasectomy procedures in 2022 from 2021, KIRO-TV reported.

"They are volunteering to me," Shih said. "They are coming in because of the Dobbs decision."