Vasectomy searches rise online after Roe reversal
“This turning point in history may place pressure on men and male health care providers and investigators to develop alternatives to vasectomy.” Dr. Megan Sax, University of Cincinnati
SACRAMENTO — Doctors and researchers are tracking increases in internet searches for vasectomies, which they say could indicate an uptick in interest in male birth control following the end of Roe v. Wade and coinciding with abortion rights becoming an election issue during the midterms.
Eric Rodriguez, CEO of Innerbody Research, which analyzes health products and services, said his company uses internet search data as a proxy to gauge demand for particular medical procedures. His team decided to add vasectomy to the list of terms they would monitor search data after a draft of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which overturned its landmark Roe ruling, was leaked. Vasectomy, a sterilization procedure for men, is one of only two male birth control methods approved by the Food and Drug Administration, along with condoms.
“It was almost a joke,” Rodriguez said.
But suddenly they saw searches for the term spike, including for phrases like “are vasectomies reversible?” “how much does a vasectomy cost?” and “what is a vasectomy?” His team saw an even bigger spike in interest when the final decision was released, officially overturning Roe v. Wade and ending the nationwide right to an abortion.
He estimates that searches for vasectomy increased by 300% after the leaked draft and by 600% after the decision was finalized. His team also saw small bumps in searches for the morning-after pill.
Around the midterm elections, Rodriguez said his team saw some additional spikes in vasectomy searches in states where abortion rights were on the ballot, or where abortion restrictions were an election issue.
The states with the biggest spikes in vasectomy searches this year were Michigan and Kentucky, Rodriguez said, both states that voted in favor of abortion rights in midterm ballot measures.
Dr. Michael Eisenberg, a urologist at Stanford who has studied the popularity of vasectomies, said the data sources he uses to track trends, including from the federal government and insurance plans, aren't yet available to show whether the number of people getting the procedure has increased since Roe was overturned. There's typically a lag of months to years for that data, he said.
“We haven't been able to start to answer that question yet,” he said. “Vasectomy is generally a very popular method of contraception, especially in California.”
He said that although it's too early to know how trends in people seeking the procedure have changed, internet search data provides “a good early window.”
Einsenberg pointed to research by doctors published in the journal Fertility and Sterility that found similar spikes in searches for the term “vasectomy” after the Dobbs decision was handed down.
In an article published by the journal, Dr. Megan Sax, who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Cincinnati, noted that the uptick in search traffic could signal a turning point in demand for male birth control.
“Although the responsibility of family planning historically has always fallen on the women … this turning point in history may place pressure on men and male health care providers and investigators to develop alternatives to vasectomy,” she wrote.
Sax also noted that reproductive health care providers face new potential government influence as states move to restrict abortion and consider limits on birth control following the end of Roe.
“It is essential that all reproductive health providers engage with the local legislatures and learn to navigate the ever-changing realm of reproductive medicine,” she wrote.
In response to the Dobbs decision, California lawmakers passed a law that will require health plans in the state to cover vasectomy costs starting in 2024.
Newsom signed the measure in September alongside other bills that aim to increase abortion access. His office characterized the bills as part of California Democrats' efforts to expand reproductive health care in the wake of the Dobbs decision.
“SB523 will help ensure equitable access to contraception, as well as solidify California's rightful place as a national leader in reproductive freedom,” the bill's author, Sen. Connie Leyva, DChino (San Bernardino County), said in a statement. “It is critical that Californians be able to decide — for themselves — if and when they have children.”
The federal Affordable Care Act already required most health plans to cover birth control for women. The new law extends that requirement to vasectomies. It will require health plans to cover the procedure without charging co-pays or cost-sharing.
Eisenberg said he doesn't know what impact the new state law may have on vasectomies, especially because he said many health insurance plans already cover the procedure.
Dr. Robert Lurvey, a urologist based in Orinda, said that he has not noticed a significant uptick in vasectomy patients since the Dobbs decision was handed down, but a couple of his patients have told him that they decided to get the procedure because of the news.
Most of his vasectomy patients are men who already have kids, he said.
The procedure is usually reversible, but Lurvey noted that doctors still typically recommend that men only undergo vasectomies after they are finished having children because reversal is not guaranteed and can be expensive.