The percentage of French men who choose to have their partner sterilised remains quite small. However, according to a report released recently, the number of men choosing this option has increased fifteen times over the past ten years.
Moreover, in France, the hormonal pill is still the most popular method of birth control for women. But more men are increasingly considering sperm tube surgery to seal or cut the tubes.
The study by the national healthcare provider and the National Agency for the Safety of Medicine (ANSM) said
The number of vasectomies increased… from 1,940 in 2010 to 30,288 in 2022,
Ronan Lerigoleur, a teacher, was among those who signed up for the operation in 2020.
He further told AFP
I was 39, and I thought: ‘I’ve had two children, do I want another one? Nope,
He further added about the female contraceptive pills that have unwanted side effects
My wife was having a hard time with the pill,
For me it was a simple operation to fix it… That way she doesn’t have to stuff herself with hormones,
According to demographer Mireille Le Guen, one possible explanation for the rise in vasectomies could be that the procedure is now much easier than it once was.
Furthermore, in today’s time, men who want the operation can leave the hospital in a day. In addition, campaigns to raise awareness have worked to debunk the myths around it, such as the idea that it decreases libido or is similar to castration.
The mental burden of contraception is something that feminists have also called on males to share.
Le Guen cautioned that despite the rise, just 0.15 percent of French males under the age of 70 underwent vasectomies in 2022.
Vasectomy demand has surged in the US in the recent past, particularly since the Supreme Court eliminated the statutory right to an abortion in 2022.
