Analysis of urban vs. rural vasectomy demographics: a multi-institutional, retrospective comparison

Each year in the US, approximately 500,000 men choose to undergo a vasectomy for permanent sterilization. Despite being a very common procedure, studies reporting demographic data and characteristics that motivate men to choose a vasectomy are somewhat limited. With this analysis, the primary objective was to determine if a difference existed between the ages and number of children among men choosing to have a vasectomy at urology practices in urban (Austin, TX = City A, population 947,890) and rural (Temple, TX = City B, population 76,277) settings. A secondary objective was to establish if there was a trend in these variables over time.

After IRB approval was obtained from each institution, a retrospective chart review was undertaken to identify men who had undergone a vasectomy at each facility from 2011-2017. Demographic data was recorded. Statistical analysis was done using student's t-test and linear regression.

The mean age at time of vasectomy in City A was 37.41 years versus 36.18 in City B (P<0.001). Men in City A underwent vasectomy after a mean of 1.96 children as opposed to a mean of 2.60 children in City B (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant trend in average age or number of children over time.

Men in an urban setting underwent vasectomy at an older age and with fewer children when compared to a rural practice environment. While studies evaluating demographics of men undergoing vasectomy have previously been performed, our results are unique in terms of a direct comparison between different population concentrations.