If there is one type of news story that is increasingly popular, it's the look at this strange sign of the recession! story.
Some of it is hype, I think, because causation is not correlation. You can't automatically deduce that because X is happening, and because there is a recession at the same time, that one is caused by the other.
But it does make for some interesting news these days.
Take this NYTimes article: Uptick in Vasectomies Seen as Sign of Recession
The author acknowledges that it may be impossible to prove this fact, since there are no good annual records kept about the number of vasectomies performed. She also touches on the fact that in addition to deciding another child might be too expensive, some men are trying to get the procedure done before their insurance runs out, if they are facing a lay-off.
In Seattle, Dr. Charles Wilson of the Vasectomy Clinic says that in the last half-year he has performed an average of 123 of the procedures each month -- 13 percent above the year-earlier average. "Some come in because they are out of work and have more time on their hands to take care of medical issues," Dr. Wilson said. "Others are afraid of losing their job and want to get their vasectomy done before they lose their health insurance."
Internationally, female sterilization is still the most common form of birth control. This despite the fact that a vasectomy (the male equivalent) is much faster, requires a less invasive procedure and is also cheaper to do. Neither is very easy to reverse, but vasectomies are still easier and seem to have better success rates (50%).
I think more parity for men and women using these procedures as birth control is a good sign--shared responsibility for pregnancy prevention.
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Vasectomies rates up.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.feministing.com/cgi-bin/movabletype/mt-tb.fcgi/13088
Definitely good news that this story suggests more burden-sharing by men in the birth control arena. Now if we could only get big pharma interested in marketing a male birth control pill.
Or at least take care of the nasty stuff female HBC does...
post hoc ergo propter hoc
Hmmm. I love how these sorts of stories are so neutral in the news, but when more women depend on welfare for the same reasons (economy, loss of job and insurance, etc) it's demonized. Just another example of the contradictory messages we are sent: women, have children, don't abort. But don't rely on us to help you out with them! Something that has stuck with me from Jennifer Baumgardners Abortion and Life book is one of the women interviewed who said that the REAL tragedy is not abortion, but women who have abortions when they really wanted the child... but they thought they didn't have the resources to raise it.
Going with the correlation isn't necessarily causation thing Miriam brought up, I would just like to point out that the particular Seattle clinic (The Vasectomy Clinic) mentioned in the article, has also been advertising HARD, a lot more than they did last year (I'm in the area).
So it may be that men are coming in to get it done while they still have insurance and all that, but I think we can't confidently say it is the recession that is causing this jump, at this clinic. I mean, they have "Snip Specials" for every single holiday- Valentine's day, St. Patrick's Day, President's day, and no doubt they will have one for Mothers' day ("the perfect gift").
But it is good they advertise, because it makes it more normal for men to think about.
Er, I think you mean correlation is not causation in the second line there...
/nitpick
I got my vasectomy scheduled for next week. Reasons I'm doing it is both because my domestic partner and I don't want kids and because my COBRA insurance is running out in July.
I don't think my decision was recession based since we've been talking about it for the past 2 years, although it's certainly been a catalyst. Getting one just because of the recession seems a little short-sighted.
I'm not looking forward to tube tying surgery. However, at least this way I know if I do end up single again my butt will always be covered.
It's interesting that sterilization is the most common form of birth control. Miriam, do you remember where you read that? That is a pretty telling statistic.
Well, it makes the most sense. Once you have the amount of kids you want, why not do something that's a virtual guarantee that there will be no more babies? Plus, you only have to pay once.
No more babies, or no babies at all. My partner and I both feel very strongly that we both don't ever want to have any kids. He got a snipped about a month ago, and reactions from friends and family has been so interesting.
First off, none of our friends want kids. They are all in their late 20's and one is in a serious relationship, but none of the others are. Most of the others just pray that they do not get one of their dates pregnant. One of them has a kid, but plays a limited role in his son's life, and bitches about child support constantly. However, when my partner told them that he had gotten a vasectomy, they were shocked and proclaimed how they could never do that, but restated how they don't want kids. There were about 5 of them with this reaction. It just amazed me how much men seem to tie their masculinity in with their virility.
Although I really do not feel like it is any of either my partner's family's or my family's bussiness that we finialized the decision to stay childless, I did tell my sister, and a coulpe of my close female friends. Good lord, I don't even know what would happen if I told my mom. The reaction I get: Well, they are always reverseable. What?! What is that? Why would we reverse it? We don't want kids. I get that I am young. I am almost 8 years younger than my partner, but I have never, ever wanated kids and feel this very strongly, but I am tired being told that we don't know what we want (or don't want). Each of us is more than old enough to make decisions like this.
I have thanked my partner profusely for doing this, although it did not take much convincing. He enjoyed the whole experience. My family continues to wonder when my "maternal clock" will kick it. Sorry for the rant that got slightly off subject, but this seemed very relivant to my life right now.
Vasextomied men? Lead the way!
I'm only on my student health insurance for a few more months, and then I've got nothing. I found out my insurance pays 100% for an IUD, so I'm getting one put in now, so I can be on birth control for years.