The number of vasectomies happening in Ireland is up four-fold from 2018.

That’s according to Dr John McCormack from Vasectomy Ireland who said the increased uptake comes from young and old men.

A vasectomy is a form of birth control where the supply of sperm to semen is cut.

Vasectomies on the rise

On Late Breakfast, Dr McCormack said it’s becoming an increasingly popular procedure in Ireland.

“Over the last four or five years, the number of men in their 20s with no kids or one kid has jumped by about four or five-fold,” he said.

“Back in 2018, it was about half of a percent, and what I would see overall now is a little over 2%, there’s been a steady rise in the last few years.

“Some of the men are in relationships, long-term relationships, seven or eight years plus, and they decide not to have children and make that decision at an early age.

“Some are single men, and they have personal reasons for doing it.”

A man talks with a doctor in his office. Image: Bill Cheyrou / Alamy Stock Photo

The vasectomy specialist said young people are more likely to seek a reversal.

“You need to be careful with that age group and give them counselling because statistically, they are 10 to 12 times more likely to seek a vasectomy reversal in their 30s than anyone else,” he said.

“If you take a 25-year-old guy with one kid versus a 35-year-old guy with no kids, the 25-year-old will be more likely to seek a reversal in the future.”

Simple procedure

Dr McCormack said the procedure itself is very simple.

“It’s basically keyhole surgery,” he said.

“It’s a small opening in the skin, less than a centimetre; it doesn’t require stitches, and patients should have a quick recovery and are less likely to get bleeding problems.

“It allows us to access the vas [deferens tube] without too much of a fuss and there are various ways of doing it but typically what happens these days is we cauterise it, burn a small segment that will close down on the inside.”

A surgery taking place. Image: Pixabay

The failure rate for vasectomies is now one in every 2,000 procedures and it can be done for free in some Irish hospitals.

“If someone has a medical card in the Leinster area and parts of Munster, you can get a vasectomy for free in certain clinics”, said Dr McCormack.

“But if you’re in Donegal, Sligo, or the northwest, there are no clinics or no funding available for it at the moment.

“Even if you don’t have a medical card, you can get referred to a public hospital and some public hospitals do it - not all.”

A vasectomy can cost around €500 or €600 in a private clinic.

Main image: A doctor holds a pair of scissors. Image: Andrey Zhuravlev / Alamy Stock Photo