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Health E-Stat 108: Vasectomy in Men Ages 18–49 in the United States, 2022–2023
Vasectomy is the only form of permanent contraception available to men (1). It is the fifth most commonly used contraceptive method, as reported by women ages 15–49 in 2017–2019 (2). Contraceptive use information obtained directly from men can provide more complete estimates of the use of male methods, including vasectomy. In 2002, when the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) first collected data from men, 6.2% of men ages 15–44 had ever had a vasectomy (3) compared with 4.0% of men ages 18–44 in 2015–2017 (4). This Health E-Stat provides estimates of the percentages of men ages 18–49 in 2022–2023 who have ever had a vasectomy, by selected demographic and socioeconomic characteristics using the most recently available NSFG data for males.
Among men ages 18–49 in 2022–2023, 6.8% had ever had a vasectomy (Table). The percentage of men with a vasectomy increased with age, from 0.2% of men ages 18-24 to 14.5% of men ages 45-49. A higher percentage of White non-Hispanic men had ever had a vasectomy (10.1%) than Hispanic (3.3%) and Black non-Hispanic (2.8%) men. A higher percentage of currently or formerly married men had ever had a vasectomy (13.1%) than cohabiting men (5.9%) and unmarried, noncohabiting men (0.3%). The percentage of men with a vasectomy increased with the number of biological children fathered, from 2.0% of men without biological children to 18.1% of men with two or more children. The percentage of men with a vasectomy increased with higher levels of education, from 1.3% among men without a high school diploma or GED to 11.2% among those with a bachelor's degree or higher. The percentage of men with a vasectomy increased with family income, from 3.8% for men with family incomes below 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) to 9.5% for those with family incomes at 300% FPL or more. Men with private health insurance or Medigap had the highest percentage of vasectomy (9.1%).
Among men with one or more biological children, 20.8% of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher had ever had a vasectomy, more than twice the percentage of men with less than a bachelor’s degree (9.5%) (Figure). For men with no biological children, no significant difference was seen in the percentage of vasectomy regardless of educational attainment.
Data sources and methods
This report is based on data from 3,978 male respondents ages 18–49 in the 2022–2023 NSFG. Details about the survey content, administration, response rates, planning, and funding can be found in the documentation on the NSFG webpage (5). All estimates in this report are representative of the household population of men ages 18–49 in the United States in 2022 except those for education and income, which are representative of men ages 22–49 (5). Differences between percentages were evaluated using two-sided significance tests at the 0.05 level. The data presented in this report are bivariate associations that may be explained by other factors not controlled for in the Figure or not included in the report. All estimates presented meet National Center for Health Statistics data presentation standards for proportions (6).
References
- Bradley SEK, Polis CB, Micks EA, Steiner MJ. Chapter 5: Effectiveness, safety, and comparative side effects. In: Cason P, Cwiak C, Edelman A, Kowal D, eds. Contraceptive technology. 22nd ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning. 2023:130-131.
- Daniels K, Abma JC. Current contraceptive status among women aged 15-49: United States, 2017-2019. NCHS Data Brief. 2020 Oct;(388):1-8. PMID: 33151146.
- Martinez GM, Chandra A, Abma JC, Jones J, Mosher WD. Fertility, contraception, and fatherhood: Data on men and women from Cycle 6 (2002) of the National Survey of Family Growth. Vital Health Stat 23. 2006 May;(26):1-142. PMID: 16900800.
- Zhang X, Eisenberg ML. Vasectomy utilization in men aged 18–45 declined between 2002 and 2017: Results from the United States National Survey for Family Growth data. Andrology 2021 Aug;10(1):137–42. DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.1111/andr.13093 PMID:34390207.
- National Center for Health Statistics. Public-use data file documentation: 2022–2023 National Survey of Family Growth user’s guide. 2024 Dec. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nsfg/guidefaqs/NSFG-2022-2023-UsersGuide-revJuly2025.pdf.
- Parker JD, Talih M, Malec DJ, Beresovsky V, Carroll M, Gonzalez JF Jr, et al. National Center for Health Statistics data presentation standards for proportions. Vital Health Stat 2. 2017 Aug;(175):1-22. PMID: 30248016.
Suggested citation
Sayers JT. Vasectomy in men ages 18-49 in the United States, 2022-2023. NCHS Health E-Stat. 2025 Aug;(108):1-4. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174619.
1Includes men of other or multiple-race groups, not shown separately.
2Hispanic people may be of any race.
3Limited to men ages 22–49.
4Children’s Health Insurance Program.
NOTE: All variables reflect respondent characteristics at time of survey.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Survey of Family Growth, 2022–2023.