The Tuesday tragicomic edition of CBS Mornings profiled a couple of men who had a suggestion on how men can do their part in the after of the Supreme Court’s ruling to strike down Roe v. Wade: get a vasectomy.
Host Tony Dokopoul got things started by reporting, “more men are taking action themselves in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade. Turning to vasectomies, the number of Google searches for the word ‘vasectomy’ peaked just one day after the Supreme Court’s ruling last month and now doctors are saying that it's not just searches, more patients are asking for the procedure IRL, in real life.”
He then turned things over to national correspondent Manuel Bojorquez for a more in-depth report who reported, “we also spoke with a doctor who said the way he found out by the Supreme Court’s decision that day is by the sheer number of phone calls coming into his clinic. He said they tripled their normal volume and the number of men signing up for the procedure tripled too.”
Diving into a video, Bojorquez featured Dr. Doug Stein of Tampa, Florida, reporting that, “We generally see about 12% in our practice, men who are child-free and then we generally see about 12% of men under the age of 30. But the number of both young and child-free nearly doubled.”
Bojorquez profiled one of those men, “27-year-old Thomas Figueroa says he and his girlfriend said they do not want children, so getting a vasectomy was always on his mind.”
Figueroa declared that, “I've always thought about this decision. The Supreme Court did finally push me to do it.”
After Bojorquez described a vasectomy, he played up ill-founded fears that birth control is next, “For Figueroa this also about easing the burden on women who have had their constitutional right to abortion taken away and for those who feel restrictions on birth control could come next.”
Figuerora himself added, “I feel for a lot of men, especially for myself, that this is a way where they’re trying to protect their girlfriends, they’re trying to protect their partners, they’re trying to protect their future partners.”
Another man profiled was Houston’s Jordan Castro, whose “post about getting a vasectomy went viral. He did it last fall after Texas passed a law banning abortion after about six weeks of fertilization.”
Only after the state passed a pro-life law did Castro start thinking about personal responsibility, “Really try to put yourself in a—in a-- women's shoes. I really think guys should—guys should-- take that into account and take a little bit more responsibility.”
After reminding viewers that Stein stresses to patients that getting a vasectomy is a serious decision that is not easily reversible, Bojorquez concluded by reporting, “In fact, he says, they are booked through August, and that's as far in advance as they've ever been booked before.”
It is sad that it took the Supreme Court to instill some sense of responsibility for these two, but at least they will not pass their wisdom on to the next generation.
This segment was sponsored by Neutrogena.
Here is a transcript for the July 12 show:
CBS Mornings
7/12/2022
7:30 AM ET
TONY DOKOUPIL: At the same time more men are taking action themselves in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade. Turning to vasectomies, the number of Google searches for the word “vasectomy” peaked just one day after the Supreme Court’s ruling last month and now doctors are saying that it's not just searches, more patients are asking for the procedure IRL, in real life. Manuel Bojorquez is in Miami Shores with more. Manny, I’m going to be watching this very closely, good morning.
MANUEL BOJORQUEZ: That’s right, good morning. You know, we also spoke with a doctor who said the way he found out by the Supreme Court’s decision that day is by the sheer number of phone calls coming into his clinic. He said they tripled their normal volume and the number of men signing up for the procedure tripled too.
DOUG STEIN: I just want to get a feel for why you feel so confident you're going to be happy with your vasectomy decision indefinitely.
BOJORQUEZ: From his office in Tampa, urologist Doug Stein calls patients who are under 30 or do not have children to discuss whether they are 100% sure they want a vasectomy, a call he's now making more often.
STEIN: We generally see about 12% in our practice, men who are child-free and then we generally see about 12% of men under the age of 30. But the number of both young and child-free nearly doubled.
BOJORQUEZ: The two-doctor practice performs six vasectomies an hour most days.
Some decisions not just made by men, but by families.
STEIN: Fifty percent of our calls are made by women.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just need you to print, sign, and date.
BOJORQUEZ: 27-year-old Thomas Figueroa says he and his girlfriend said they do not want children, so getting a vasectomy was always on his mind.
THOMAS FIGUERORA: I've always thought about this decision. The Supreme Court did finally push me to do it.
BOJORQUEZ: The procedure which blocks sperm from entering semen is outpatient and takes about ten minutes with about a two-day recovery as opposed to a female tubal ligation which is riskier and much more invasive. For Figueroa this also about easing the burden on women who have had their constitutional right to abortion taken away and for those who feel restrictions on birth control could come next.
FIGUERORA: I feel for a lot of men, especially for myself, that this is a way where they’re trying to protect their girlfriends, they’re trying to protect their partners, they’re trying to protect their future partners.
BOJORQUEZ: In Houston, Jordan Castro’s post about getting a vasectomy went viral. He did it last fall after Texas passed a law banning abortion after about six weeks of fertilization.
JORDAN CASTRO: Really try to put yourself in a—in a-- women's shoes. I really think guys should—guys should-- take that into account and take a little bit more responsibility.
BOJORQUEZ: And while vasectomies are reversible, not all reversals are successful.
STEIN: Alright, very good, do you have any pain?
BOJORQUEZ: That's something Dr. Stein stresses to his growing number of patients.
And do you see this as a trend that will continue or just kind of a spike?
STEIN: I think maybe the spike is over and we're tapering down a little bit, but I think we haven't tapered back down to pre-Roe overturn numbers.
BOJORQUEZ: In fact, he says, they are booked through August, and that's as far in advance as they've ever been booked before. Vlad?
