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Demographic and socio-economic characteristics of men choosing vasectomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Mary A. Parsons  and
Heather A. Wood
Mary A. Parsons
Affiliation:
Department of Human Biology and Health, University of Surrey, Guildford
Heather A. Wood
Affiliation:
Department of Human Biology and Health, University of Surrey, Guildford
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Summary

The results are presented of a survey of male subjects attending the Kingston Contraceptive Clinic for vasectomy. The men living in the Kingston Area (KA) were compared with those living in the Out of Kingston Area (OKA) for economic and other differences.

For both groups, the average age of the subjects at the time of interview was 36 years and the average age of their partners was 33 years. The couples in both groups had an average of 2·4 living children. The OKA sample had been married on average 3 years longer than the KA sample.

Economic differences were minimal, both groups having an average weekly income £22 in excess of the estimated average national wage. Educationally the groups were broadly similar, the OKA sample having a higher proportion of graduate subjects. The social class distribution of both samples was significantly different from that of the South-East of England, and showed that usage of vasectomy was predominantly by Social Classes II, IIIN and IIIM. This is interpreted as indicating the gradual spread of acceptability of vasectomy as a means of birth control through the social classes, in a manner similar to that already documented for the pill.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , April 1978 , pp. 133 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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