Effect of Vasectomy on Psychological Functioning

Abstract

Pie-to postoperative changes in couples electing vasectomy are discussed. High satisfaction with the operation is found, along with apparently desirable changes in attitudes toward child rearing and views of self and spouse. There is, however, concurrent evidence (both on psychometric scales and on clinical ratings) of adverse psychological changes in both husband and wife and of reduced marital satisfaction as compared with similarly studied couples using ovulation-suppression contraception. The "therapeutic" effect of the study itself is presumed to have reduced some of the more apparent adverse effects reported in other studies. Hypotheses are discussed concerning the presumed challenge posed by vasectomy to a man's "masculinity," various ways in which this challenge is apparently met, and the implications of postoperatively modified behavior patterns for psychological functioning of both spouses and for the equilibrium of the marriages. JL N RECENT YEARS, voluntary male sterilization (vasectomy) has become an increasingly common method of contraception. This trend is especially evident in the Western United States, where, in 1960, approximately 7% of the husbands From the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, Calif.

Motivational Factors and Socio-Economic Characteristics of Vasectomized Males

“…(1) The average age of vasectomized men was much higher than those reported by Landis & Poffenberger (1963), Johnson (1964), Ziegler, Rodgers & Kriegsman (1964, 1966 and Truesdale (1965), which cluster around an average age in the early 30s as compared to the average of over 38 years found in this study.…”

“…Rodgers, Ziegler, Rohr & Prentiss (1963), Poffenberger & Poffenberger (1963), Johnson (1964), Ziegler et al (1966) and Ferber et al (1967) have shown a range of 2-22% of Catholics among vasectomized persons, as compared to 38 % found in the present study.…”

Two years' experience of an outpatient vasectomy service.

“…At the Bureau, the vasectomy client was 3 to 8 years older,2, 4, 6-8 and superior in economic and educational position, from those reported in other studies. 2,4,[8][9][10][11] The findings of the postoperative questionnaire showed that 26 per cent of the men had complications persisting from 1 week to more than 6 months. Although in a majority of the cases, the complications were cured within 4 weeks after the surgery, still the 26 per cent figure is rather disturbing.…”

“We have friends, for example, and he will not get a vasectomy”: Imagining the self in relation to others when talking about sterilization.

“…When reference was made to manliness, masculinity or 'being a man' it was typically raised by the men themselves, as if there was an assumed 'need' to attend to it when discussing their sterilisation. This was despite there being no mention of masculinity, masculinities or manhood within the Participant Information Sheet, the press release, nor in the preamble beginning the interview.This would perhaps suggest that there was some salient, culturally shared understanding of vasectomy as a potential 'threat' to manhood (see Amor, et al, 2008;Hofmeyr & Greeff, 2002;Williams, Swicegood, Clark, & Bean, 1980;Ziegler, Rodgers, & Kriegsman, 1966 for discussion concerning this).…”