A study found that sterilizations increased in the United States after the Supreme Court struck down abortion rights in 2022.
The researchers were able to determine that after this decision by the high court, a large number of people between the ages of 18 and 30 decided to undergo vasectomies and tubal ligation.
However, it was women who had this procedure most often, as double tubal ligation was found to occur.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum, was the first to analyze the impact of the court’s historic decision on permanent contraceptive methods.
In 2023, abortions in the United States saw an increase. Photo: EFE
Jacqueline Ellison, lead author of the study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, emphasized that this reflects the fact that much of the contraception continues to be done by women.
“The stark difference in the patterns of these two procedures reflects the fact that young women are overwhelmingly responsible for preventing pregnancy and suffer disproportionately from the health, social and economic consequences of abortion bans,” she said.
According to the expert, contraceptive procedures for women are more complex and between two and six times more expensive than for men.
Furthermore, reversing female sterilization requires a complex and invasive surgical procedure; something that is not the case with men.
See more: In the US, despite bans, abortions have reached their highest level in more than a decade
The study analyzed medical records from large academic centers and affiliated hospitals via the TriNetX platform.
In this way, it focused on people between 18 and 30 years old, who are more likely to have abortions and regret sterilizations.
The study found that the Supreme Court’s removal of federal protections for abortion in the United States led to an increase in the number of sterilizations.
In fact, about 20 states have banned or severely restricted access to abortion, leading women to completely reduce the risk of pregnancy.
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