Prevailing Cultural Attitudes about Vasectomy: A Possible Explanation of Postoperative Psychological Response

Informational feedback from social encounters has been hypothesized to influence self-concept and personality functioning. Recent experimental and other research studies demonstrate this effect, and therefore suggest that prevalent cultural attitudes about couples who elect vasectomy for contraception, if predominantly derogatory, could initiate or reinforce adverse personality changes. Two cultural subgroups, thought to represent common cultural attitudes, ascribed fewer favorable characteristics to couples using vasectomy than to couples relying on ovulation suppression. These findings are discussed in relation to previously reported evidence of negative personality changes following vasectomy.