Overturning Roe vs. Wade Causes Uptick in Vasectomy Consults
Concerns across the country have been raised surrounding reproductive rights and abortion, following the reversal of Roe vs. Wade in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health. Some are also noticing a renewed interest in contraception options and the status of frozen embryos from in vitro fertilization.
Soon after the decision, there was a staggering increase of over 850% for the search term "where can I get a vasectomy," according to preliminary data collected by Innerbody Research, a telehealth and health research company. The top two states showing an increase were Texas and Florida. At Yale Medicine Urology, we have also seen a sharp uptick in vasectomy consults. While family planning should be a couples’ decision, we especially advocate for male partners to take an active role. Currently, the only permanent option for men is a vasectomy.
A vasectomy is an office procedure. It is safe, effective, and easily tolerated by the male partner. It is safer than a tubal ligation performed on a woman, which requires a general anesthetic and is more invasive.
A vasectomy is done by interrupting the tube that carries the sperm. In almost all cases it is an outpatient procedure and takes about 15 minutes. Once a semen sample is checked at about three months after the procedure and shows no sperm, the couple is cleared to have unprotected intimate relations. There is a small failure rate of 1/2000 after the semen test shows no sperm, but this is still much lower than other permanent or reversible options for birth control, such as the pill, condoms, IUD’s, etc. Vasectomies are not recommended for patients who have not completed their family planning.
At Yale Medicine Urology we have extensive experience with this procedure. I lead our skillful male reproductive urologist team. I am a member of the national committee on vasectomy guidelines, teach courses at national meetings on the procedure, and have performed over 2,000 vasectomies. We welcome couples who are interested in learning more.