CLEVELAND (WJW) – The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is prompting a major increase in requests for vasectomies.
“My instant reaction, the first thing I did was to start looking up where to get a vasectomy,” said Brandon Hire, a father of two from Ohio.
Minutes after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Hire called a doctor.
“It is not an option for my family to get pregnant with another baby. We already have twins that are adults,” said Hire.
Not only is Hire a caretaker to his daughters with disabilities, but his wife suffers from chronic pain.
“The danger, if she does get pregnant and is forced to carry a baby to term, the medication she is on could cause damage to the baby. But stopping the medications would make her life unlivable,” said Hire.
Hire is not alone. Urologists with the Cleveland Clinic said they have seen a significant increase in requests for vasectomies in response to the Supreme Court’s decision.
How significant? Usually, the clinic gets three to four scheduling requests per day. Since Friday, the clinic said they have had about 90 total — a major jump.
“I’m not surprised. That’s why I didn’t delay. My first consultation is in two weeks. This is going fast for me. This is something I am not delaying,” said Hire.
The Supreme Court’s decision leaves it up to each individual state. In Ohio, abortion is illegal once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
A urologist in Memphis, Tennessee, told Nexstar’s WREG that his office has also experienced an influx of calls from young men inquiring about vasectomies.
“This is a safe long-term way of avoiding an oops,” Dr. Joseph Pazona said. “I think it’s wonderful that men are starting to take more personal responsibility when it comes to family planning.”
Dr. Pazona performs 50 to 60 vasectomies a month in Middle Tennessee. He’s prepared to double the number of vasectomies he performs due to the ban.
“I was visiting with a patient who had made the decision that he did not want to have any children, and he brought that up as one of the factors bringing him in,” Dr. Pazona said.