LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade last week, Kentuckians are increasingly interested in vasectomies, according to Google Trends. Searches for the phrase “vasectomy near me” are at an all-time high throughout the country, with Kentucky the third most popular state for those searches, trailing only Idaho and Michigan.
In addition, a doctor with First Urology in Louisville said the practice has seen a slight bump in phone calls from prospective patients.
This is welcome news to Buddy Wheeler, who has had a vasectomy and is encouraging men to consider the procedure in the post-Roe era.
“I feel like the responsibility of preventing unplanned and unwanted pregnancies definitely should fall more to men,” Wheeler said.
A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that closes off the vas deferens, preventing sperm from leaving the body. The procedure is a highly effective form of birth control and one of the few methods available to men.
Wheeler, 48, and his wife decided for him to have a vasectomy several years ago when they decided they were happy with the one child they have and didn’t want to experience another pregnancy.
“This was the easiest and safest option for the both of us to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he said.
The process was relatively easy, and the recovery was simple, Wheeler said. The biggest surprise was learning that, despite his assumptions, he was far from alone.
“When I first had mine done, it felt a little secretive,” he said. “I didn’t think I knew anybody who had one. Then, I mentioned it to one person, and he said he got his several years ago. Then, a handful of other friends started talking about it.”
The silence that often comes with vasectomies is why Wheeler is talking about his now. “We need to destigmatize talking about vasectomies,” he said.
The owner of Tattoo Charlie’s, Wheeler said he has a small following online locally and wanted to use whatever clout he may have to push men to consider their role in preventing pregnancy now that the Supreme Court has ruled there is no constitutional right to an abortion.
In Kentucky, that Supreme Court decision was followed by an immediate ban on abortion, thanks to a 2019 “trigger” law. On Thursday, a Jefferson County judge blocked the law from being enforced.
“A man can get a woman pregnant every day of the year, for most of this life,” Wheeler said. “It really feels like the onus needs to be shifted, at least some, to talk more about men’s responsibility.”
‘Better than expected’
Vasectomies are an “excellent option” for men who are finished having children, said Dr. Christopher Schrepferman with First Urology in Louisville. And he’s heard from colleagues around the country that interest is increasing.
Schrepferman said vasectomies have the lowest contraceptive failure rate among all options, and the process is simple. When he performs the procedure, it takes 10 to 12 minutes under local anesthetic, and it does not involve any sharp instruments near a man’s genitals. In his experience, Schrepferman said, men can be “afraid to have surgery in a sensitive area. But almost everybody tells me it’s way better than expected.”