According to the Swiss federal law regulating sterilisation, the procedure may be performed on “persons of sound mind who have reached the age of 18”, provided they have been “fully informed about the procedure” and have given their written consent.
Explore the joys of direct democracy? Start a petition and get the existing laws changed?
And you’re welcome to do so. I agree that 18 is very young to make such a drastic life decision, but it’s considered adulthood for so many other things. I don’t imagine a lot of 18-year olds are getting sterilized, but I don’t know.
Apologies for not being clear. When I said women “opt for” I wasn’t meaning it 100% in the context of sterilization. Although it can apply there too. I meant that once the decision has been made to remove these organs - whether for medical reasons or sterilization - the women I know chose to start with hysterectomy/salpingectomy to avoid immediate menopause. Some later also had the ovaries removed.
There may be good reasons for women to have hysterectomies at an early age, especially if they have sever endometriosis that may have already rendered them practically infertile.
Difficult subject, when we neutered our dog due to prostate problems (which uncovered a pre-cancerous testicle) the vet told me “It’d probably be a good idea for humans to be sterilized too, after having kids and passing 50 years of age”. I said “The data may be sound, but this sounds way too extreme!”.
why?
I am lost for words…
Sterilization has nothing to do with extirpation of organs, which is what hysterectomy / salpingectomy /Oophorectomy / Orchiectomy ( aka ‘neutering or castration’ / removal of testicle/s) are.
Surgical sterilization (vasectomy / tubal ligation) does not remove organs.
Salpingectomy (removal of the Fallopian tubes) is performed when there is a risk of ovarian cancer.
Each organ and tissue has a function - actually, many functions, from which we know a few- remove it, and the whole and very precise mechanism of life gets out of balance -chronically.
Let’s come back to the subject… “more swiss men opt for vasectomy”. Well, they also have the option of hormonating themselves for life…or injecting plastic into their testicles. No joke, don’t worry, only once, and lasts 15 years (and is also reversible). But I guess…that’s not fun 
The Original article is a bit misleading too:
The stories of two men who opted for a vasectomy in their early twenties are representative of a wider trend: steadily declining birth rates, including in Switzerland.
It’s really just click-bait as it is implying that the declining birth rates are due to young men having vasectomies. There isn’t any data which shows a corelation.
There are plenty of ways to avoid pregnancy - abstinence from sexual intercourse, protection via barrier or medication and so on.
Only one of the two men mentioned to have had a vasectomy, in the article could, in some terms, be labelled as a bit of a nut-job as he was advocating equal-right for animals.
At least the men are making that choice themselves here (albeit at a young age for such a decision). Foreskins are routinely removed in the US for Religious/Cultural reasons without the consent of the child.
Yes, like voting or driving a car which you’d have to be pretty dumb to see in the same way as a unnecessary possibly non-reversable medical operation.
Some malignancies are hormone-dependent, specifically to estrogen and testosterone.
I didn’t say I endorse or agree with this idea! Plus it was said by a veterinarian. Apologies, will not distrupt the topic any further.
Do mind the qualifiers: “after having kids and passing 50 years of age”.
after 50 most men are shooting blanks anyway, so whats the point?
You should ask the vet.
Tell that to Anthony Quinn and Al Pacino who were fathers at 81 and 83 respectively.
Anyway Slammer it only takes one.
Sometimes I look a person and think to myself… “and you were the fastest?”
Some people just don’t have the maternal or paternal instinct. I already knew when I left school at 16 I didn’t want to have children, when things got serious after I met my OH he wasn’t bothered either way, but then decided he didn’t want any. I think in his case it was down to the poor relationship he had with his own parents, he didn’t want to give them grandchildren who’d be estranged from them.
In my case it was a combination of things. Firstly my parents were in their mid 40s when they had me and my upbringing was far stricter than most of my peers whose parents were in their 20s when they were born. However they did bring me up to work hard and better myself (I came from a mining area and my mother used to say don’t marry a miner).
Secondly I saw girls getting pregnant shortly before they were leaving school and being expelled by the headmistress for it. Most of those girls paid for having children too young and ended up as single mothers in rundown council flats living on benefits. I know of 2 or 3 who never worked in their lives and their grandchildren have been brought up on benefits as well. One girl had 2 toddlers by different fathers by the time she was 18.
At 44, I was told by a Swiss doctor I was more or less shooting blanks. Still managed to father two kids a few years after that. (and before anyone asks, I am sure they are mine).
Damn, that was my first thought…
Nah, just joking. Your swimmers definitely swam an obstacle course worthy of the marines.
A friend had a vasectomy and then asked the surgeon if that meant he wouldn’t have kids.. the surgeon assured him he wouldn’t.. but when he got home both the little tykes were still there. 
Heating the Testes with a hot water bottle (no not a blow torch) can cause infertility.
That is some serious level kink you got there.
A high-fevel for a day or more, or too long in a sauna or hot spa, can kill or damage good sperm, at least temporarily.