title: Offering the full range of contraceptive options: a survey of interest in vasectomy training in the US family planning community.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess current practices regarding female and male sterilization counseling and provision, as well as determine interest in providing vasectomy among family planning specialists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Members of the US-based network of family planning fellowship physicians (current fellows, graduates and faculty) received a Web-based survey from November 2015 through January 2016 regarding current sterilization preferences and practices, as well as interest in obtaining training in vasectomy counseling and procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly 60% (n=178/302) of family planning fellowship providers responded to the survey. While 62% (111/178) of respondents reported counseling their patients about vasectomy at least most of the time and 57% (102/178) recommended vasectomy over female sterilization, few (8/178; 4 trained in family medicine and 4 trained in obstetrics and gynecology) had performed a vasectomy in the last year. Nearly 90% (158/178) of respondents were somewhat or very interested in receiving training on vasectomy counseling; 58% (103/178) desired procedural training. Desire for training was associated with being male and receiving residency training in family medicine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Few family planning fellowship physicians provide vasectomy, and the majority expressed being at least somewhat interested in receiving further training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vasectomy is more effective, safer and less expensive than female sterilization but is less common than female sterilization. One barrier to vasectomy access is the low number of vasectomy providers. Creating a structured vasectomy training program through the family planning fellowship may help to increase the number of vasectomy providers.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago, IL; University of Southern California, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Los Angeles, CA. Electronic address: brian.trung.nguyen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Family Medicine, Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Jochim
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Department of Family Medicine, Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: Grace H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Shih
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003376:Counseling; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009774:Obstetrics; D010820:Physicians; D013245:Sterilization, Reproductive; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014659:Vasectomy / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Family planning; Medical education; Sterilization; Vasectomy; Vasectomy provider