Dr. Nam describes an increase in vasectomies following the Dobbs ruling

In this interview, Catherine S. Nam, MD, shares the background and key findings from the study, “Short-Term Changes in Vasectomy Consults and Procedures Following Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization.” Nam is a clinical andrology fellow at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois and a recent graduate of the University of Michigan residency program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Video Transcript:

Could you describe the background for this study?

After the Dobbs v. Jackson decision in June 2022, there were many anecdotal reports of urologists across the country that commented on the increased interest in vasectomy consultation, and even leading up to the decision since the decision was leaked ahead of time. There were some follow-up studies that looked at the Google searches that increased dramatically after this event. We wanted to look within our institution to see how much of that is true compared to prior years in terms of vasectomy consultations and procedures, and also wanting to look at some of the demographic factors that might be associated with increased interest in vasectomy following this decision.

What were the key findings?

Compared to the prior years, we found that there was a 150% increase in new vasectomy consults that were completed, and there was a 160% increase in the number of vasectomies that were done. When we're looking specifically at the demographics of men seeking vasectomy consult, we found a significant increase in men who were non-married–or single–or childless, that we're seeking vasectomy compared to the prior years. But interestingly enough, when we looked at the age of men seeking vasectomy consult, we did not find an association.

This transcription has been edited for clarity.