Published today in a JAMA Health Forum research letter, policy researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and Boston University show how the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling affected preferences for permanent contraception among males and females between the ages of 18 to 30. It’s the first study to assess how the Dobbs ruling affected both females and male interest in permanent contraception procedures. What the researchers found was that despite all the attention on male vasectomies post-Dobbs, the rise in tubal sterilizations among females was twice as high as the increase among vasectomies in males.
That’s because overturning Roe doesn’t directly affect men. If a man wanted a vasectomy, he’d get one regardless of abortion legality.
Anecdotally, I got a vasectomy about 6 years ago. If I hadn’t, I don’t know if outlawing abortions would have changed anything for me. It may have, but it’s impossible to be sure since it’s hypothetical.
I think men are accustomed to taking drastic measures to solve dilemmas. “If I can’t get this thing in my state, I’ll just drive to another state. Road trip!” Obviously there are plenty of women who don’t have the time/car/gas/freedom/know-how to do that, if a pregnancy occurs. So it makes sense that a greater percentage of women would opt for preventive measures.
Also, it’s not just a quick road trip. She’s going to need to stay at least long enough to be sure she doesn’t have any complications, because a run to the hospital in an anti-abortion state could be dangerous.
I’m not a woman, but the choice also comes with emotional baggage that if forced to travel for these procedures, must also come along on the trip. It may not be a case of just get in the car and go. Because, if you pack it up and bring it along, you (ie. women) have to unpack that at some point, and doing it on a road trip may not be the best setting.