Copyright keenesentinel
Planned Parenthood of Keene is now offering vasectomy services, in an effort to expand reproductive health care in the region. In an Oct. 9 news release, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England announced that its Elm City health center is offering the surgical procedure. Vasectomies are a form of birth control that involves cutting and sealing the tubes that carry the sperm from the testicles to penis. During the procedure, “patients can expect to be in the health center for only about an hour and then will be sent home,” according to the release. Kayla Montgomery, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund, said the demand for vasectomy services increased after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. The ruling left abortion laws up to states, and in New Hampshire there have been attempts to expand abortion restrictions, although abortion remains legal until 24 weeks into a pregnancy, and in some cases after that. Planned Parenthood’s location in Manchester began offering vasectomy services in June 2024, while the Keene location began in October, Montgomery said. “We are seeing an increase in these appointments since Dobbs happened,” Montgomery said. “We are responding to patient need.” It’s too early to say how things are going at the Keene location, Montgomery said. But at others, “it’s going really well. People have been having good experiences.”
