American men rush to get vasectomies after abortion ban
American men are rushing to get vasectomies in the wake of abortion bans in several states, doctors have claimed, citing a surge in requests.
More than half of US states have either imposed severe abortion bans or are shortly expected to following the Supreme Court’s decision to revoke the constitutional right to the procedure.
Joe Biden on Thursday denounced the conservative-majority court for “outrageous behaviour”, backing a Senate rule-change that would allow Democrats to override Republican opposition and force through abortion rights legislation.
Since the Supreme Court ruling, dozens of urologists have reported a huge increase in men demanding sterilisation procedures.
The surge has been most notable in childless men under the age of 30.
Doug Stein, a doctor known as the “Vasectomy King” for his longtime advocacy of the procedure, said the spike in requests was “very, very noticeable” in the days following the Supreme Court decision.
His clinic is fully booked through the end of August, leading him to add additional days to his schedule to meet the demand.
“Many of the guys are saying that they have been thinking about a vasectomy for a while, and the [Supreme Court] decision was just that final factor that tipped them over the edge,” he told the Washington Post.
300 to 400 per cent increase in consultations
An analysis by the newspaper found doctors in some states reporting a “300 to 400 per cent” increase in vasectomy consultations and a “200 to 250 per cent” increase in web traffic around the procedure.
One doctor, John Curington, said “at least 60 or 70 per cent are mentioning the Supreme Court” ruling during their appointments.
Some, like Eric Nisi, a 29-year-old from Florida, said fears that states could next move to restrict access to contraception had driven them to register for a vasectomy.
Demand for vasectomies also surged in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, as well as the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, numerous doctors told the Washington Post the latest increase exceeded previous episodes.
Period tracking apps hacked
Meanwhile, a hacking group claimed it had hacked into menstrual cycle tracking apps and deleted their data, amid fears big tech could help prosecutors identify abortions in states where it is now illegal.
The “hacktivist” group Anonymous said it had “hacked and deleted” data from multiple period tracking apps “to avoid identifying possible abortion”.
It came in response to fears that health data collected by the apps could be valuable to states pursuing criminal cases against abortion providers.
Period tracking app Flo has announced a new “anonymous mode” feature that will allow users to remove their identifying information from their profile.
