Contraceptive sterilization use among married men in the United States: results from the male sample of the National Survey of Family Growth

Background

Surgical sterilization has many advantages. Previous information on prevalence and correlates was based on surveys of women.

Study Design

We estimated the prevalence of vasectomy and tubal ligation of partners for male participants in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, a nationally representative survey of US residents aged 15-44 years. We identified factors associated with sterilizations using bivariate and multivariate techniques.

Results

The findings revealed that 13.3% of married men reported having had a vasectomy and 13.8% reported tubal sterilization in their partners. Vasectomy increased with older age and greater number of biological children, non-Hispanic white ethnicity, having ever gone to a family planning clinic. Tubal sterilization use was more likely among men who had not attended college, those of older age and those with live births.

Discussion

One in eight married men reported having vasectomies. Men who rely on vasectomies have a somewhat different profile than those whose partners have had tubal sterilizations.