美国国家公共电台 NPR--Fewer abortions, more vasectomies: Why the procedure may be getting more popular

Fewer abortions², more vasectomies: Why the procedure may be getting more popular

Transcript³

Restrictions⁴ on abortion¹ in many states are prompting some men to rethink their reproductive health decisions. Since this summer's U.S. Supreme⁵ Court ruling overturning Roe⁶ v. Wade⁷, some doctors say they're hearing from a growing number of male patients asking for vasectomies.

"It shouldn't just be on women to step up and not have kids, you know?" says Dustin May, of St. Louis, shortly after his vasectomy procedure at a Planned Parenthood clinic. Vasecomies are outpatient permanent sterilization⁸ procedures that block sperm⁹ from being released in semen.

May and his girlfriend, Courtney Price, have known for years that they don't want children.

"If she got pregnant, an abortion would be something that we would consider... This is a step to prevent that."

Price says she's tried several types of birth control, all with unpleasant side effects. May and Price are both still in their 20's, but Price says they knew from their first date more than three years ago that neither one of them wanted to become parents.

"I'm like, 'Kids?' And he's like, 'No.' I'm like, 'Thank God!' "

Few other options in restrictive abortion states

As of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision in June, abortion is illegal in Missouri and roughly a dozen other states, with Republican lawmakers in many states pushing to pass more restrictions in the future.

The Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis used to provide abortions, but on a recent day NPR visited, the health center was hosting a free vasectomy clinic at three different locations around Missouri over three days. Normally, if not covered by a patient's insurance, Planned Parenthood charges up to $1,000 for the procedure, including follow-up care.

As soon as the Dobbs decision was released, Dr. Esgar Guarín says his Iowa-based vasectomy practice saw a surge in website traffic, and the number of patients coming for procedures nearly doubled from June to July.

"What has happened is that since Roe v. Wade was overturned, many men have realized that they perhaps have been absent in contraception, particularly in contraceptive decisions," says Guarín, who assisted with the vasectomy clinic in Missouri.

Guarín's practice isn't alone. A spokesperson for the American Urological Association told NPR that while national data isn't available yet, healthcare providers around the country have anecdotally reported seeing increased demand for vasectomies in recent months.

Permanent with little risk

In addition to being permanent, Guarín says vasectomies are relatively¹⁰ quick - about 10 minutes for a skilled surgeon. They're also less invasive than tubal ligation, a sterilization procedure that involves cutting or blocking the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy¹¹. They have a far lower failure rate than many other types of birth control including condoms and are more effective than some other types of contraceptives including the pill.

Dr. Sarah Vij, assistant professor of urology at the Cleveland Clinic, says vasectomies are "at sky-high, record rates" since Dobbs. At Planned Parenthood North Central States in the Midwest, CEO Ruth Richardson says the organization received a "surge of calls" after the decision.

In New York, Dr. Meera Shah, chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, is getting similar calls from patients who've decided¹² that now is the time for a vasectomy.

"They've been thinking about getting it for a really long time, and then what's happening in this country has motivated them that much more to get the vasectomy," Shah says.

Some downsides

There can be downsides, though. Shah tells patients that vasectomy reversals are sometimes possible but never guaranteed.

"If somebody is going into a vasectomy saying, 'Oh, it can be reversed,' then I say that they may not be a candidate for it."

Shah says some patients choose to freeze their sperm before the procedure in an effort to keep more options open should they decide to try to have a child in the future.

Another patient at the Planned Parenthood in St. Louis, Collin Mack, says he's been wanting a vasectomy for several years, "but I waited because I don't like making rash decisions."

Now, Mack says he worries about the lack of access to abortion. And he likes the idea of being in control of his fertility, rather than relying on a female partner's contraceptive decisions.

At 24, Mack says he felt confident in his decision, but he persuaded his grandparents to help fund the cost of freezing some sperm as a "backup option" in case he ever changes his mind. Storing sperm typically costs several hundred dollars a year.

"I kind of played the card of like, 'Do you guys want me to have kids? Because you guys seem the most upset about this procedure, you guys should invest some money in me freezing the sperm,' " Mack says. "I'm not too worried about it. I'd prefer not to have kids - I think that's the choice that I'm going to stick with."

Dr. Guarín says many of his recent patients have been younger men, often in their 30s, as well as couples. Many had been relying on female partners for contraception and no longer feel confident doing so.

"I hope this is an inflection point in reproductive rights in America for the participation¹³ of men," he says.

1 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

2 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

7 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

8 sterilization   

n.杀菌，绝育；灭菌

参考例句：

• Sterilization by filtration is subject to one major theoretical limitation. 过滤灭菌具有一个理论上的局限性。 来自辞典例句
• Sterilization is a treatment that frees the treated object of all living organisms. 灭菌处理是从处理对象排除一切生活的生物。 来自辞典例句

9 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

10 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

11 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。