Male sterilization should be banned from the list of services at Russian medical institutions, State Duma member Vitaly Milonov has said. In a written appeal addressed to Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, Milonov argued that in addition to a blanket male ban, permanent female contraception should only be allowed if the woman’s life is in danger.
In Russia, men and women aged 35 or over, or those have at least two children, are eligible for sterilization surgery, although there are exceptions for serious mental illnesses and severe disease.
Milonov said that although access to sterilization surgery in Russia is “somewhat limited,” it remains available in some cases “to those who do not have strong medical reasons for [it].”
The number of female sterilization surgeries in Russia reached a 16-year high in 2022, according to data from the Rosstat statistics agency. The total number of operations from 2010 to 2022 increased by 20% to 15,000. In contrast, the number of abortions has steadily declined in recent years.
Voluntary sterilization is still relatively rare in Russia compared to countries such as the US, where approximately 600,000 tubal occlusions and 200,000 vasectomies are performed annually. In total, 10% of women later regret the decision to undergo sterilization, according to analysis by the US National Survey of Family Growth. Women who undergo sterilization before age 30 are more likely to experience regret compared to those who have the procedure after that age, the study added.