Demand for vasectomy has surged since Roe v. Wade was overturned in July, and men are taking to TikTok to share their experiences with the procedure.
Some are even shockingly documenting their reactions during the process itself.
Vasectomy is a form of male birth control that cuts off the supply of sperm to the ejaculate. It’s done by cutting and sealing the tubes that carry sperm to prevent pregnancy, and according to the Mayo Clinic, it’s 99% effective.
With women in parts of America no longer able to access safe abortions, doctors have reported an increase in male circumcision procedures.
There are 522.5 million videos using the hashtag #vasectomy – with many men filming themselves going through the procedure and some encouraging other guys to do the same and trying to dispel any misinformation.
“One of the things that surprised me is the sheer amount of misconceptions about vasectomies,” Texas comedian Keith Laue told Health. “I still have my testicles. I can still ejaculate. I don’t have low testosterone.”
In an already viral TikTok that has been viewed over 3.2 million times, Laue said the procedure only took “10 to 15 minutes, so it wasn’t that bad” and said the whole process from start to finish was “super easy”. .
The 23-year-old told the publication that since he and his partner already had one child and knew they didn’t want another, getting a vasectomy would be the most cost-effective option available to them.
“The roadblocks were a lot less for me than for Taylor [my partner] who had been on birth control before,” he said. “But also, it’s not just Taylor’s responsibility to take care of contraception.”
Urologists recently told the Washington Post that they’ve seen an increase in interest in vasectomies since the Supreme Court ruling, with 60% to 70% of men coming in for the procedure citing it as a primary reason for getting the procedure. .
Dr. Philip Werthman, a urologist in Los Angeles, told the publication that he has seen a “300 to 400 percent” increase in the number of vasectomy consultations he has performed. Dr. Esgar Guarín, an Iowa-based urologist, claimed a “200 to 250%” increase in traffic to his website.
Laue isn’t the only one sharing his story on TikTok. Mike Pridgen, 28, also filmed his operation and posted it online in confidence.
“I’ve had dental fillings with more hassle than that,” he declared in the video, which has been viewed 2.8 million times.
“This isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
“It was an easy procedure,” father-of-three Ernest Quiocho said in his vasectomy video. “I would do it again.”
Thousands of people have commented on the video, thanking the men for sharing their stories.
“THANK YOU for showing other men how easy it is,” commented one user.
“Every time I argue with a man about how easy this is, I’ll tell them,” said another.
“I got one too, it’s very painless and the recovery was very quick. It’s 100% worth it,” commented another.
According to Planned Parenthood, there are two types of vasectomies: the incision method and the no-scalpel (no incision) method.
Non-incisional methods are reported to reduce the risk of infection and other complications and generally take less time to heal.