Why more and more young Swiss men are opting for a vasectomy

Children? No thanks! The stories of two men who opted for a vasectomy in their early twenties are representative of a wider trend: steadily declining birth rates, including in Switzerland. “I decided to have a vasectomy when I was 21,” says Raul, who is now 27. “I didn’t want to take the risk of unwanted fatherhood. And I felt a need to be in control of my sex life.” Raul did not make the decision lightly. After a long period of careful consideration, he finally went ahead with it after talking to a friend who had also done the operation. “Only the third urologist I saw agreed with my decision – and still insisted that I wait three months to think it over,” Raul says. No second thoughts According to the Swiss federal law regulating sterilisation, the procedure may be performed on “persons of sound mind who have reached the age of 18”, provided they have been “fully informed about the procedure” and have given their written consent. Nevertheless, urologists are highly cautious. Many ...