Contraception: vasectomies have exploded in France in twelve years, according to a study

We must believe that mentalities are moving forward when it comes to contraception. According to a study published on Monday 12 February by the National Agency for Medicines Safety and Health Insurance, vasectomy is increasingly practiced among men in France, as the number of operations has increased fifteenfold in twelve years.

“The number of vasectomies has increased every year since 2010, going from 1,940 vasectomies in 2010 to 30,288 in 2022 »assure the authors of the study, supervised by the epidemiologist Mahmud Zureik.

Now more male than female sterilizations

Authorized in France since 2001, vasectomy is a form of sterilization: considered a definitive contraceptive, it consists of blocking sperm by ligation of the vas deferens that transport them from the testicles. Does not prevent ejaculationand has no impact on sexual life. Although it is sometimes possible to reverse the effects of a vasectomy, we cannot know in advance whether it will be irreversible or not.

In 2021 and 2022, if there were more male than female sterilizationsThis would be, according to the authors of the study, largely due to the story of Essure implants, commonly used in France as a method of female sterilization, withdrawn from the market at the end of the 2010s due to negative effects.

A very low rate in France

But although the numbers are increasing, the rate of vasectomies in France remains very low: only 0.15% of affected men made this choice in 2022.

Furthermore, the number of operations in France remains far behind other countries such as Australia, where one in four men over 40 has had a vasectomy, or as in the United States, more than 500,000 vasectomies are performed per year. according to this ScienceDirect study.

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