Primary Submission Category: Reproductive health
“I waited years for an option other than vasectomy”: Interest in new contraceptive methods for sperm among people with vasectomies
Authors: Madeline Mahoney Asha Hassan Alison Ojanen-Goldsmith Christy Boraas
Presenting Author: Madeline Mahoney*
People who can get pregnant currently have many more effective and reversible contraceptive options than those who produce sperm. Increasing options for people who produce sperm is important in expanding reproductive agency. Several novel hormonal and non-hormonal methods of contraception for sperm are in development, yet the perspectives of people who have had vasectomies as to whether and why they would have preferred a contraceptive alternative over vasectomy have not been previously explored. We recruited participants who had undergone vasectomies at family planning clinics in the upper Midwest United States and advertised this anonymous, cross-sectional, self-administered web-based survey on social media. We analyzed quantitative results using descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis. We analyzed two open-text questions using thematic analysis. Inclusion criteria were age 18 or older, had a vasectomy, able to read, write, and speak English, and was willing to participate. Among the 266 respondents, 34.2% of participants reported they likely or very likely would have chosen highly effective, non-surgical, and fully reversible emerging contraceptive technologies for sperm if they had been available instead of vasectomy. Reasons for this choice include the reversibility of a future method (47.1%), the desire to avoid surgery (42.5%), greater accessibility of a future method (12.6%), and anxiety around the surgery itself (4.6%). Abortion restrictions, gender dysphoria, and intergenerational trauma emerged as novel motivators in the decision to have a vasectomy. Nearly half of participants had no children at the time of their vasectomy. People choosing vasectomy may prefer reversible and non-surgical emerging methods of contraception targeting sperm. Clinical researchers, industry sponsors, and healthcare institutions should work to provide more contraception options for people who produce sperm to further their reproductive agency.