Overturning US abortion rights prompted a surge in women getting their tubes tied

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-04-13 01:00

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The overturning of the constitutional right to abortion in the US prompted a surge in permanent contraceptive surgery in both vasectomies and women getting their tubes tied, but the response for women was double that for men, according to international researchers. The team looked at US medical records for vasectomies and tubal sterilisation before and after the US Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the constitutional right to abortion and led to abortion restrictions and bans in 21 states. The researchers say there was an "abrupt" increase in permanent contraception procedures among both men and women. They say this is likely a reflection of the disproportionate health, social and economic consequences an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy has on women.