The number of vasectomy procedures conducted each year has come down by nearly two-thirds in the last decade, new figures have revealed.
NHS data have shown that while there were 31,216 vasectomies in 2004/05, there were just 11,113 in 2014/15.
Experts say this fall in number is partly attributed to men having children later in life. Many could be avoiding the procedure in case they divorce and re-marry and want to have more children later in life.
The statistics also showed that there was a fall of 16 per cent in the number of vasectomies in just one year from 2013/14 to 2014/15.
Vasectomies are more than 99 per cent effective, according to the NHS. The procedure involves cutting, blocking or sealing the tubes that carry sperm from a man’s testicles to the penis. It takes around 15 minutes.
