FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control pill
Women will soon be able to access birth control pills without a prescription.
LEARN MOREPosted: 4:34 p.m. EDT Sep 28, 2023
Men will be able to get free vasectomies in Oklahoma.
Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which is located in Oklahoma City, is offering the service for two days in October.
The clinic put out a call on Facebook on Sept. 19, asking those interested in the procedure to reach out for a consultation to make sure they are a good candidate. Two days later, Planned Parenthood Great Plains said all of the free vasectomy appointments had been reserved. However, people can still get on a waitlist for the Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 appointments by contacting the clinic.
A vasectomy, also known as male sterilization, is a form of male birth control. The National Institutes of Health says the surgical procedure involves "cutting the tubes (the vas deferens) that carry sperm from the testicles."
Most women whose husband or partner got a vasectomy said they elected for the procedure because they already had all the children they wanted, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fewer that one out of 100 women gets pregnant in the year after her male partner undergoes the procedure, the CDC notes.
While getting a vasectomy is an effective form of birth control, health officials remind men that it does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
