Man recounts getting vasectomy in his 20s after sons' births

Alex West remembers the months after his two sons were born as "grey," a period devoid of color and filled with others telling him how wonderful fatherhood must be. He experienced unresolved trauma from his wife's difficult first labor and subsequent postnatal depression, which prevented him from processing the experience and feeling the expected connection with his children.

“

I had a panic attack and broke down. I hadn't been able to - I didn't have the ability to - process that.

"I didn't feel this love and connection that everybody says I should have," Alex said. This led him and his wife to abandon their plan of having four children. Feeling it was unfair to place the contraceptive burden on his wife, Alex, then in his late 20s, chose a vasectomy, a procedure known colloquially as the snip.

“

I didn't feel this love and connection that everybody says I should have.

Vasectomies are becoming more common in England, with 26,385 procedures performed in hospitals and clinics during 2024-25, a 16% increase from the previous year. Men aged 35-39 had the most procedures, but there was also a slight rise in younger men, with about 950 vasectomies performed on men under 30. Alex's NHS doctor initially advised him to wait until he turned 30, but he proceeded with the quick and painless procedure in May 2024.

“

I put my headphones on and I listened to about three songs before they said it was all done. Ridiculous - crazy quick.

Sam Knight, from the US, also opted for a vasectomy at age 22 after a partner became pregnant and chose to have an abortion. He felt a profound realization of the impact he could have on someone and decided he never wanted that to happen again. He sought out a urology clinic in New York to prevent future unintended pregnancies.

“

I was putting myself in situations where kids could be a potential option and that really started to, kind of, freak me out.