A British court has ruled for the first time that a man who lacks the capacity to give informed consent should have a vasectomy because it is in his best interests. The 36-year-old man, who has not been identified, has an I.Q. of 40, lives with his parents and has a long-term girlfriend who also has severe learning disabilities. In 2009, the man’s girlfriend became pregnant and had a child. According to the court decision, the man had insisted that he did not want any more children. His doctors and parents applied to the court for the vasectomy, arguing that he does not have the mental capacity to reach an independent decision.