Vasectomy numbers are rising in Australia. So what’s at play when men make the big decision – and how do they feel afterwards?

Dr Nikolas Katelaris has “stopped counting” how many vasectomies he has performed. After the tally hit 2,000, it became hard to keep track. In the past few years, the Sydney procedural GP has noticed a definite uptick in demand for the procedure.

Amid a national and international debate about declining fertility rates which often centres on women’s choices and experiences, Medicare data shows that the number of vasectomies performed in Australia has jumped from 22,230 in 2015 to 36,317 in 2025. And of the 699,473 total vasectomies recorded between January 2000 and December 2025, 210,105 – or nearly a third – took place in the last five years.

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