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SNIP AND TUCK: Men getting vasectomies in droves after Roe v Wade is overturned

'They have been thinking about a vasectomy for a while, and the Roe v Wade decision was just that final factor,' an urologist said

BY DIVYA KISHORE

UPDATED JUL 2, 2022

Roe v Wade was overturned on June 24 (Getty Images/ zimmytws)

The overturning of Roe v Wade has reportedly resulted in several men getting vasectomies. According to Doug Stein, a Florida urologist famous as the "Vasectomy King", the demand for the procedure has spiked after the June 24 Supreme court ruling. He apparently said that earlier four or five men used to come for vasectomy in a day but after the verdict, requests have increased to 12 to 18 a day.

Stein reportedly said, “It was very, very noticeable Friday, and then the number that came in over the weekend was huge and the number that is still coming in far exceeds what we have experienced in the past. Many of the guys are saying that they have been thinking about a vasectomy for a while, and the Roe v Wade decision was just that final factor that tipped them over the edge and made them submit the online registration.”

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One such person is 27-year-old Thomas Figueroa, who recently put in a request for the surgical procedure. The Tampa-native said: “It is something I put on the backburner of my mind until very recently, when the Supreme Court decision happened. That was basically the triggering factor right there. It pushed my mind to say: 'OK, I really do not want children. I'm going to get this vasectomy now.’”

Abortion rights activists protest in the street near the U.S. Supreme Court on the last day of their term on June 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court’s recent decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health case overturned the 50-year-old Roe v Wade case and erased federal protection for abortion. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“This is probably one of the very, very rare things in politics that actually does affect me very personally and very hard. It really woke my eyes up,” he added.

Another man thinking along the same line as Figueroa is Eric Nisi, whose girlfriend Amanda Omelian is already taking double precautions for birth control. And now because of the recent judgment, the couple fears that Florida may ban contraceptives along with prohibiting abortion. So Nisi has decided to go for a vasectomy. The 29-year-old said he does not want his girlfriend to “stress over getting pregnant,” before adding: “The world is a scary place and you don't know what's coming, because it seems like we're moving backward.”

An abortion rights activist protests in front of the U.S. Supreme Court June 29, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health overturned the landmark 50-year-old Roe v Wade case and erased a federal right to an abortion. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Stein’s associate, John Curington, stated: “I'd say at least 60 or 70% are mentioning the Supreme Court decision. And a few of them have such sophistication as young men that they actually are thinking about Justice Thomas and his opinion that contraception may fall next. And that's shocking. That's something that doesn't enter into our conversations ever, until this week.”

A Los Angeles based urologist, Philip Werthman, has also claimed that there’s “300 to 400%” spike in the number of vasectomy consultations he’s done after the Roe v Wade decision. He noted that men’s physiology has changed lately as they are now playing a crucial role in family planning too.

Abortion rights supporters march while protesting against the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to end federal abortion rights protections on June 27, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. The Supreme Court's decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health overturned the landmark 50-year-old Roe v Wade case and erased a federal right to an abortion. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Another Iowa-based urologist Esgar Guarín said that he’s seen "200 to 250%" increase in his website’s traffic as people search for information on vasectomy. Marc Goldstein, a urologist and director of the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and Microsurgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, added that “it's been a dramatic shift. And this [decision] is only going to further impact that in terms of increasing requests."