The number of men being sterilized has doubled over the past 10 years: 'I think it was quite reasonable that it was me who took the thorn'

Rasmus Thirup Beck and his wife had the two children they wanted. The question remained whether she would return to the P-pills she had never reacted well to, or if the condom would be used again.

For journalist Rasmus Thirup Beck and his wife, the answer was quite different.

In the spring of 2021, Rasmus Thirup Beck laid himself on the operating table and was sterilized.

A procedure he previously described in Politiken (https://politiken.dk/danmark/forbrug/art8147387/%C2%ABHusk-nu.-Du-er-den-samme-mand-n%C3%A5r-du-g%C3%A5r-ud-herfra-p%C3%A5-torsdag%C2%AB.-%C2%BBJa-tak%C2%AB-svarer-jeg ).

- I think it was very reasonable that it was me who took the thorn, now that she had taken the thorn for many years and also for many years before she met me.

- It is just a much easier procedure for me, than it is for a woman.

Rasmus Thirup Beck is part of a growing trend. More and more men are choosing to undergo surgery to ensure they cannot have more children. This is written by Jyllands-Posten (https://jyllands-posten.dk/indland/ECE18538928/da-rasmus-staghoej-og-hustruen-var-faerdige-med-at-faa-boern-rejste-der-sig-et-spoergsmaal/?fp-exp=60710001&fp-alg=607100011 ) today.

Last year, 4,248 Danish men underwent sterilization - what is called a vasectomy in medical terms.

This is a doubling over the past 10 years.

The data comes from the Health Data Authority, which both Jyllands-Posten and DR have obtained.

At the private hospital Aleris, they have met many men like Rasmus Thirup Beck.

- We meet many fathers with children who come in and have this done here, says medical director Søren Lunde.

- The vast majority have been very well thought out in their decision and are in a situation where they have just had the children they want.

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Men take responsibility for prevention

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Most men who undergo sterilization are in the age group 35-39 years, shows data from the Health Data Authority. In 2023, there were 1,118 men.

This corresponds to 0.58 percent of all Danish men from 35-39 years, shows data from Statistics Denmark.

Although there is no data on the reason for men's choice, it is believed in the national organization Sex and Society, which advises and teaches sexual education, that most have the same reasons as Rasmus Thirup Beck.

- Many men in this age group will likely have had the children and the family they want, and therefore there is no reason for their partner to go around on hormone prevention, says Jeppe Hald, who is the professional leader of the advice in Sex & Society.

The increase is likely due to the increased focus on side effects of women's prevention methods, says he.

- There has been more equality in the responsibility for prevention. At the same time, there has been more concern for side effects of hormone prevention based on a series of newer register studies.

This is also experienced among the men who come to the private clinic Aleris.

- We experience that men as men take on a greater responsibility for family planning, says medical director Søren Lunde.

For Rasmus Thirup Beck, the decision was also mostly about a practical problem that needed to be solved.

- But I was fine with taking my thorn after my wife, and the lovers I had before her.

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Will you become less of a man?

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It has been over four years since Rasmus Thirup Beck made the decision and called the doctor.

Before that, he went through some months and took precautions.

- I know that it is not necessarily the rarest procedure, and I just think that most men have a little difficult relationship with their more intimate parts, don't they?

There were also some more psychological considerations that continued to press.

- Would I feel less like a man? Would I in some way become less attractive in my wife's eyes, because I could not shoot sharp?

Neither Rasmus Thirup Beck's wife was completely at ease with the procedure. But for her, the concern was different. What if something happened to her in the future, and he wanted children with another?

Even though sterilization is generally permanent, there are ways to reverse sterilization and, for example, retrieve sperm cells from the testicles, says medical director Søren Lunde.

Today, Rasmus Thirup Beck thinks that all their concerns "are just silly."

- I have not regretted it for a second.

In fact, he has not given the procedure a chance, after the tenderness after a few days had passed.

- It does not require pills and chemistry, which have all possible annoying side effects. And I would like to allow myself to speak a little about complexity and pain. I was a little tender. That's what he says.

It is very common for men to have a lot of concerns before the procedure, says medical director Søren Lunde on Aleris.

- There is a lot of ignorance about this area. What does it mean for your manhood? Can you still get an erection? Can you still have an orgasm during sex?

According to Søren Lunde, most concerns can be dismissed. A man can at most be a little tender, he says.

- It is a quite small procedure in local anesthesia for most men, so I see no medical concern in this area.

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