Vasectomies at UCSD Health on the rise after Dobbs decision on abortion
Above: A Nexstar Media video on legal challenges following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The number of men who have received vasectomies has risen over the two years since the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning the constitutional right to an abortion, according to a new study from UC San Diego Health.
The study, which was published in the May edition of the Journal of Urology, retrospectively analyzed the number of patients UCSD’s health centers saw for vasectomy procedures between June 2021 and June 2023 — the year before the decision was handed down and year afterwards.
Specifically, the researchers looked at roughly 630 men who came into UCSD Health for a vasectomy consultation, how many followed through with the procedure and the demographics of those patients, like their age, race or whether they had children or a partner.
Throw out COVID-19 tests made by San Diego company, FDA warns
What researchers found is that, across demographics, the number of completed vasectomies at UCSD Health rose following Dobbs by about 25% — 280 were recorded before the decision while 351 occurred after.
Of those men, researchers observed more followed through with the procedure after the consultation in the year post-Dobbs. According to the study, the completion rate was about 86% before and 90% afterwards.
The study noted that more of these patients were either childless or partner-less, although most either had a significant other or children.
According to the study, childless vasectomies accounted for about 14% of all completed procedures before the Dobbs decision in 2022, while 19% of patients seen between 2022 and 2023 reported not having any kids.
A similar share prior to the Supreme Court decision — about 14% — received the procedure without having a significant other, and about 15% of vasectomy patients in the year after were single.
Hispanic and Black men were also found to be more likely to undergo partner-less vasectomies, the study noted.
The age of men who sought out vasectomies at UCSD Health also became younger in the year post-Dobbs, the study observed, with the average age falling around 36 years old. According to the study, the average vasectomy patient’s age was about 40 years old.
Although focused on its medical centers, the UCSD Health study mirrors similar reported trends of more men and women turning to sterilization amid the now uncertain state of reproductive health access across the country.
Tubal ligation, a procedure to cut off the fallopian tubes in a uterus that is also known as “tube tying,” and other forms of permanent birth control have become ever more frequent over the last few years.
UC San Diego study finds plant virus may slow the progression of cancer
While vasectomies can be reversible, doctors say that vasectomies should be considered a permanent form of male birth control, similar to tubal ligation.
One recent national study conducted by public health researchers at Boston University observed a spike in the number of tubal ligations among those between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, with about 57 additional procedures per 100,000 outpatient visits.
It more than doubled the rise in vasectomies in the same age demographic: According to the study, there were about 27 more procedures per 100,000 outpatient visits for vasectomies.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
