Planned Parenthood’s Hammond Health Center in northern Indiana has added vasectomies to its health care options.
There has been increased interest in vasectomies following the United States Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year, according to officials from Planned Parenthood Great Northwest Hawai‘i, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky.
Since then, abortion access in several states, including Kentucky, has been heavily restricted.
Earlier this week, the Kentucky Supreme Court decided the state’s abortion ban will remain in place during an ongoing legal challenge.
Indiana lawmakers passed a near-total ban last year, but it is currently blocked.
“Increased access to family planning services is really more vital now than ever,” said Rebecca Gibron, CEO for Planned Parenthood Great Northwest. “Since the fall of Roe we have seen a 40% increase in vasectomies.”
Planned Parenthood officials said vasectomies services offer folks some peace of mind following the Roe reversal.
“The fall of Roe left many concerned for their personal reproductive rights and in some cases, the reproductive rights of their partners,” said Grace Shih, Director of Vasectomy Services at Planned Parenthood Great Northwest, in a news release. “While that can be a helpless feeling, Planned Parenthood has seen an increasing interest in vasectomies from sperm-producing patients in both an act of protection and an act of love.”
Gibron said vasectomies are an important reproductive health option for those who can get them.
The procedure can also help take some of the responsibility of family planning off women and other people who are able to become pregnant.
“It’s more than time for anyone who is sexually active to be responsible for their reproductive health,” Gibron said.
Gibron said Planned Parenthood will continue expanding its vasectomy services in areas of demand and need, including Kentucky and Southern Indiana, throughout 2023.
