London - The number of men undergoing vasectomies has fallen by nearly two thirds in a decade, figures reveal.
Experts say the decline is partly down to men having children later in life – or leaving their options open in case they have a second marriage.
Figures released by NHS Digital show that 11,113 vasectomies were performed in 2014/15, down from 31,216 in 2004/05.
The numbers fell by 16 per cent in just the last 12 months of that period – in 2013/14, 13,300 were carried out.
Family planning specialists say men are becoming reluctant to have surgery that leaves them infertile.
Many are not starting families until their late 30s or 40s – previously this is when they would have considered a vasectomy. Some men may be putting off the procedure in case they divorce and marry again, and want to have more children.
Vasectomies have also fallen victim to NHS rationing and many health trusts are restricting the £400 operation to save money.
Furthermore, women are being increasingly encouraged to use long-term contraception such as coils – so there is less need. Only last month the NHS watchdog NICE published new guidelines instructing GPs to offer women intrauterine devices because they are so effective.
Clare Murphy, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said there were ‘social trends at play’. She added: ‘People are waiting longer to start and finish their families, so men today may be significantly older by the time they start considering the snip.
‘In some areas vasectomies have been rationed to try to save money, even though in the longer term this is an extremely cost-effective option.’
Jamie Oliver recently spoke of how he had been banned from having a vasectomy by his wife Jools, who wanted more children. The couple, who are both 41, had a fifth baby in August.
Vasectomies take around 15 minutes and are performed under local anaesthetic – often at GP surgeries. But they aren’t completely effective and one man out of 2,000 will still be able to get his partner pregnant.
The latest figures are contained in a report which also revealed a drop in the numbers of people attending family planning clinics. There were 2.03 million attendances in 2014/15, down from 2.14 million in 2013/14.
The clinics were set up to reduce the teenage pregnancy rate and offer free condoms, the morning-after pill and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
Nakita Halil, chief executive of the Family Planning Association charity, said clinics were being closed due to local authority funding cuts.
‘Over the last year, we have continued to hear examples of services being closed, moved or restricted and we know the pressure local authorities are under to make ends meet in their public health budget,’ she said.
‘We also question how much support young people are getting through sex and relationships education, which is still not statutory, to become confident and competent users of sexual health services.’
Daily Mail