More Young People Are Opting for Permanent Contraception, Study Finds

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In the wake of the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, more young people than ever are opting for more permanent solutions to contraception according to new research published by the Journal of the American Medical Association last week.

Since 2022 when Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned existing federal protections for abortion enshrined by Roe, many states have gone on to restrict or completely ban access to abortion care. The impact of this seismic shift in legislation is still in flux, the scope of which is yet to be fully understood.

In a study of people across all US Census areas, researchers found that since the reversal of Roe, both vasectomies and tubal ligations increased significantly in people ages 18 to 30.

The sharp increase in procedures for female patients was double that for that of male patients, which highlights the gendered nuances of permanent methods of contraception, and which “reflect the disproportionate health, social, and economic consequences of compulsory pregnancy on women and people with the capacity to become pregnant,” the report said.

The researchers also suggested that Dobbs may have led to an increased sense of urgency among individuals who were already interested in permanent contraception prior to the SCOTUS decision.

“Findings from this research highlight the indirect effects of Dobbs on the reproductive autonomy of young people,” Dr. Jackie Ellison, lead study author from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, told CNN.

“It may seem obvious, but it’s important to emphasize that cisgender men may not feel the same sense of urgency to undergo vasectomy because they don’t experience the same consequences of unwanted pregnancy.”

The dynamic presented post-Roe, is complex, when women and people who can become pregnant face dual pressures to get permanent contraception procedures like tubal ligation, and to avoid it.

However, according to researchers, the data in the report has some limitations, and does not include specificity around the experiences of Black, Indigenous, Latine, disabled or low-income women who are disproportionately impacted by “interference and coercion in their contraceptive decision-making.”

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue