The Post-Roe Snip & Go: Tracking The Rise in Permanent Sterilization for Both Men & Women
This commentary is a repost from “Sex on Wednesdays” by Martha Kempner on Substack. Find her other articles on The Queen Zone here.
Two new studies show that the fall of Roe v. Wade has changed young people’s reproductive and residential behaviors. Researchers at George Washington University found that rates of permanent sterilization for both women and men went up everywhere after the Dobbs decision in 2022 with more increase seen in states that restrict abortion. A study of the same time period by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a nonprofit economic research organization, found that young people have increasingly fled states with strict abortion laws.
While these are two separate, unrelated studies, I’ve decided to dub their joint result The Old Post-Roe Snip & Go because I can never resist a rhyme.
Rising Rates of Permanent Sterilization Post-Dobbs
For the sterilization study, researchers did two things. First, they looked at national medical claims data for vasectomies and tubal sterilizations and compared the number of procedures across states. They found that in August 2022 (two months after Dobbs) there were 799 (or 70%) more tubal sterilizations and 346 (or 95%) more vasectomies compared to May 2022 (the month before Dobbs) among young adults between the ages of 19 to 26. They also found a greater increase in both tubal sterilization and vasectomies in states that had bans or were seen as likely to adopt an abortion ban than in states where abortion rights seemed safe.
While insurance data can’t tell us why these people chose to get snipped, the researchers also conducted qualitative surveys with over 600 young people. Survey participants expressed fears about their reproductive health in this environment. Some confirmed that their interest in permanent contraception was, in fact, motivated by concerns about losing access to abortion and not being able to make pregnancy-related decision in the future.
These fears are legitimate in today’s political landscape where more states are imposing stricter abortion regulations, and court cases are actively trying to resurrect Comstock laws. Surgical approaches to contraception—whether it’s sealing off the vas deferens or tying/removing the fallopian tubes—are very effective methods of avoiding all pregnancy now or in the future.
These could be great methods for young people who are really sure about their decision not to have biological children in the future. Anyone who might be on the fence, however, should stick with Long-Acting Reversible Contraception. The IUD and the Implant have effectiveness rates that rival sterilization (though they are only available for those of us with uteri).
Population Shifts: Fleeing Strict Abortion States
The second study looked not at medical records but at postal records in the months after Dobbs. By examining change of address forms filed with the USPS, researchers were able to determine how many people left states with strict abortion bans or states that were perceived to be hostile to reproductive rights.
The analysis found that the 13 states with strict abortion bans lost about 36,000 residents each quarter post Dobbs. Single person households, which tend to be young people, were the most likely to move across state lines (or across multiple state lines until they reached abortion safety). This makes sense as single person households are by definition more mobile (only one person has to find a new job, living situation, or school).
Researchers noted that rates of population loss increased each quarter. Again, this makes sense. Relocating isn’t easy and it might take several months to plan and execute a move to another state. The researchers estimated that states with strict abortion bans lost about 128,700 residents from the time of the Dobbs decision through the last quarter of 2023. It’s likely more by now.
Economic and Demographic Implications for Red States
This isn’t good news for red states. As the researchers note, “States with abortion bans may face challenges in attracting and retaining workers, especially… younger workers who represent future economic potential. These population flows and demographic shifts could affect a wide range of economic factors from tax bases to housing markets to the availability of workers in key industries.”
Red state politicians want us to believe that their goals are improved economies and lots of healthy {white} babies (oops did I say the racist part out loud?), but the policies they are putting in place will lead to neither.
You May Want To Read:
- 11 Things They Didn’t Teach You In Sex-Ed about Women’s Bodies
- Many Women Don’t Know What Was Removed in Their Hysterectomy—Here’s Why It Matters
- Sex After Hysterectomy: Can Orgasms Stay Strong?
- Hot Flashes, Sleepless Nights, and Now Depression? Let’s Talk HRT
- A Guide to Researching Abortion Services Securely and Discreetly
