BACKGROUND: Surgical sterilization has many advantages. Previous information on prevalence and correlates was based on surveys of women. STUDY DESIGN: We estimated the prevalence of vasectomy and tubal ligation of partners for male participants in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, a nationally representative survey of US residents aged 15-44 years. We identified factors associated with sterilizations using bivariate and multivariate techniques. RESULTS: The findings revealed that 13.3% of married men reported having had a vasectomy and 13.8% reported tubal sterilization in their partners. Vasectomy increased with older age and greater number of biological children, non-Hispanic white ethnicity, having ever gone to a family planning clinic. Tubal sterilization use was more likely among men who had not attended college, those of older age and those with live births. DISCUSSION: One in eight married men reported having vasectomies. Men who rely on vasectomies have a somewhat different profile than those whose partners have had tubal sterilizations. Published by Elsevier Inc.
BACKGROUND: Surgical sterilization has many advantages. Previous information on prevalence and correlates was based on surveys of women. STUDY DESIGN: We estimated the prevalence of vasectomy and tubal ligation of partners for male participants in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, a nationally representative survey of US residents aged 15-44 years. We identified factors associated with sterilizations using bivariate and multivariate techniques. RESULTS: The findings revealed that 13.3% of married men reported having had a vasectomy and 13.8% reported tubal sterilization in their partners. Vasectomy increased with older age and greater number of biological children, non-Hispanic white ethnicity, having ever gone to a family planning clinic. Tubal sterilization use was more likely among men who had not attended college, those of older age and those with live births. DISCUSSION: One in eight married men reported having vasectomies. Men who rely on vasectomies have a somewhat different profile than those whose partners have had tubal sterilizations. Published by Elsevier Inc.