According to a new study, the Great Recession resulted in a half a million more men getting vasectomies.
Presented on Monday at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's 70th Annual Meeting, researchers analyzed data from about 9,000 men between 2006 and 2010.
Led by Dr. Bobby Najari, a urologist at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, the team of researchers found that the recession caused a decrease in half a million babies born between 2007 and 2009, with about 150,000 to 180,000 more vasectomies being performed per year.
The data revealed that only 3.9 percent of men had a vasectomy, the reversible procedure for male sterilization, before the recession compared to 4.4 percent of men reporting have a vasectomy after the recession.
"Despite an unchanged desire for more children, men in relationships reported planning for smaller families," said the team.
However, the percentage of men who had vasectomies and worked full-time and/or had medical insurance declined.
Post-recession men were also less likely to have a job or medical insurance and therefore, on average made less money. But it was not clear if the men went for a vasectomy for financial reasons.
While previous studies have found that when median incomes decreases, the rate of vasectomies increase, the study is unique since it does not rely on data from a medical center. Instead, the researchers looked at data from the National Survey for Family Growth.
The study does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between the recession and the procedure, but the researchers think the study supports the idea that "interest in vasectomy may vary based on economic factors."
