A review of the changing landscape of vasectomy trends in the United States in the post-dobbs era.

Abstract

The United States (U.S.) Supreme Court declared abortion unconstitutional in June 2022 in the Dobbs v. Women's Health Organization hearing. This decision sent shockwaves through the political and medical community. While the immediate impact on female reproductive rights was readily apparent, male counterparts also sought to assert their reproductive autonomy as evidenced by the rapid rise in vasectomy interest across the country. In the months following the decision, rates of vasectomy interest, as measured by Google Search Trends, and vasectomy procedure rates were noted to be increasing across the country. This review aims to summarize the current literature surrounding vasectomy trends following the Dobbs decision, with particular focus on the impact on vasectomy trends in various geographic regions and across different age groups and marital status. To date, five studies have been published exploring increasing public interest in vasectomy, as measured by internet search trends, five studies have been published exploring trends in vasectomy consultation post-Dobbs, including three primary single-center studies, and one study has been published regarding social media themes surrounding vasectomy in the U.S. These data highlight the impact of the decisions regarding female reproductive rights on the healthcare decisions by males in this country, placing vasectomists at the heart of the discussion.