Page "Vasectomy" Paragraph 46

Although much of the earlier psychological research on vasectomy seemed to have a negative, or ' suspicious ' tone, this is changing.

Recent psychological research, employing qualitative methodologies, has demonstrated the positive identities men can take up post-vasectomy.

These might include: the ' family man ,' a man who takes on responsibility for the contraceptive task and a man who is willing to ' sacrifice ' his fertility for his partner and family's sake.

Often these sorts of accounts are constructed within the ' contraceptive economy ' of a relationship, where women have maintained responsibility of the contraceptive task up until the point of the operation.

This can sometimes mean men receive a high degree of gratitude and positive reinforcement for making the choice to be sterilised, perhaps more so than a woman who has been on the oral contraceptive or similar for years prior.