Men are documenting their vasectomies on TikTok after the overturning of Roe v Wade

The hashtag #vasectomy has more than 500 million views on TikTok
Activists protesting after the overturning of Roe v Wade in Los Angeles
Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty
Seren Morris19 August 2022

Men are documenting their vasectomies on TikTok, as interest in the procedure has surged following the US Supreme Court’s decision to remove American women’s right to abortion.

The hashtag #vasectomy has more than 500 million views on TikTok, while searches for “vasectomy” peaked on Google in late June following the overturning of Roe v Wade.

The Supreme Court’s decision allowed states to introduce new restrictions or bans on abortions, impacting millions of women and girls across the nation.

Women in states that ban abortion could be forced to go through with a pregnancy, even in cases of rape or where there could be a risk to the woman or baby’s life. Those who do seek an abortion in states where it is banned could face prosecution.

Preventing unplanned pregnancies has long been the responsibility of women, who are expected to use contraception methods such as the pill or IUD, which are often accompanied by a long list of side effects – some of them significant.

People across the US have protested the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade
Getty Images

But in light of the Supreme Court’s decision, there has been a surge of men taking responsibility for the part they play in unplanned pregnancies by seeking vasectomies, a procedure that cuts the supply of sperm to the semen.

It’s a reliable procedure that carries none of the side effects of other methods of birth control, and it can often be reversed.

Now, men are sharing their experiences on TikTok and encouraging others to do the same.

TikTok user Gabe explained how his procedure went in a video that has amassed 1.7 million views.

He says: “The procedure lasted about 20 minutes, I got nitrous, so I literally felt nothing, except some movement down there. I was actually in a really good place, it was a really enjoyable experience.

“After the procedure I was able to stand up, put my clothes back on and walk right on out. My wife drove me home and I laid down, put some ice on it, took some pain meds, and I was having a good old time.”

Despite feeling uncomfortable, he said the pain post-procedure was minor.

He said: “I want to thank my incredible wife for everything she put her body through to give us three absolutely incredible children, and for all of the different types of contraception that she was willing to try because the options for me were very, very slim.

“We tried just about everything to see what worked best for us and for my wife’s body. And here I am, doing the bare minimum, and I’m not even going to say ‘You’re welcome,’ to her because for me it was just an expectation.”

TikTok user Mike documented his experience in a video that amassed 2.8 million views – and filmed his live reaction to the procedure.

In the video, a doctor can be heard saying “a little pinch here”, to which Mike responds, “Oh. That was not nearly as bad. I thought it was going to be like losing a ball.”

In a follow-up video, he explained why he got a vasectomy and said: “They won’t take the choice away from me. But they will take it from them. My vasectomy protects my partner.”

Gabe and Mike are just two of many men who have candidly shared their vasectomy experiences on TikTok, gaining millions of views and likes in the process.

Does the TikTok trend reflect a wider movement?

The overturning of Roe v Wade seems to have resulted in a surge in men getting vasectomies.

Staff at five clinics in the US told Vice that the demand for the procedure has shot up in recent months.

The overturning of Roe v Wade has taken away the right to abortion from millions of Americans
Getty

One clinic saw its website’s daily visitors shoot from 400 to 1,300 on the day Roe v Wade was overturned, while another said that weekly calls to their clinic had doubled.

A Florida clinic had 150 men register for a vasectomy in the last week of June, compared to just 55 in the first week of the month.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that 10 urologists across the US said they had seen “a notable uptick in bookings for the procedure this summer – especially among younger, child-free men, whose resolve to not reproduce appears to have sharpened in the face of a precarious economy, worsening climate change, and a more restrictive family planning landscape.”

One doctor told the publication that men expressed it was “time for them to step up” reflecting an attitude shift that sees men take more responsibility for family planning.

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