ATLANTA — The reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v Wade has been swift and strong, but are men really rushing to the doctor for life-changing surgery?
News outlets in some US cities report that urologists have experienced a huge increase in the number of men seeking vasectomies.
Let’s verify.
The Question:
Are more men seeking vasectomies since the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v Wade?
The Sources:
- Dr. Sarah Vij of the Cleveland Clinic
- Several urologists in metro-Atlanta
- Dr. David Perlow of the Atlanta Vasectomy Center
The Answer:
Yes, there has been an increase in the number of men seeking consultations and information about vasectomies in the days following the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion.
What we found:
A handful of urologists told us nothing has changed at their practices.
However, Dr. Vij said the Cleveland Clinic typically gets three or four requests a week for vasectomy consultations but had 90 in one week following the Supreme Court’s decision.
“It's primarily been the consultation interest that we have seen,” Dr. Vij said. “I think time will tell whether those folks follow through. It's pretty universal from other urologists that I've spoken to and just posts on social media.”
Meanwhile in Atlanta, Dr. Perlow said his practice normally gets less than 10 inquires a day. He’s now seen a big jump since the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“I would say in the first few days after Roe v Wade, we were getting 50 to 100 inquiries,” he said. “A shocking increase. My staff was just overwhelmed.”
“We're seeing more and more young patients without children,” added Dr. Vij. “We did see those before, too, but it seems like there's been a significant increase.”
So, we can Verify, there has been an increase in the number of men seeking consultations and information about vasectomies since the Supreme Court’s decision.