A study on the validity of vasectomy status for both the husband vasectomized and his spouse

Vasectomy is an economic and effective method of contraception for population control. 550000 men underwent vasectomies in Korea from 1961 to 1982 and during 1982-83 another 97000 had a vasectomy. One of the side effects of this procedure is vasal constriction. The vasectomy status of husbands was validated with special concern for vasectomy as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in Choonchun city (512 eligible subjects) and Chunseong county (142 eligible subjects) which are served by the Community Health Program of Seoul National University. 50 couples were selected from each location and were matched with 50 controls yielding a total of 200 couples who were interviewed in December 1983. 80% of the men in the sample of 100 males interviewed had their vasectomy before 1979. Age distribution of the subjects at the time of vasectomy indicated that 39.7% were aged 35-39 and 32.2% were aged 30-34. The duration of marriage was 4-7 years for 36.8% of urban residents compared to 39.5% of rural residents. The average duration of marriage before the procedure was 9.4 years among rural residents and 8.4 years among urban residents the occupational breakdown included 33% farmers and laborers 20% engaged in light or simple work and 18% employed in commercial or mercantile activities. The average age of the men was 34.4 years and there were no sequelae in the subsequent 8 years. The educational level of these men was high: 70.9% had more than secondary school education. The sensitivity of reporting vasectomy status was .99 and 1.0 for husbands and wives respectively. A multiple regression analysis was also carried out. The association of vasectomy with vasal constriction should be the subject of further research.