Study: 2.3% of men have become an adoptive father

More than 1.2 million men have taken the life-altering step of adopting a child, according to a new report from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics.

The data – which was taken from a 2002 survey and analyzed – reveals that in comparison only 613,000 women had adopted a child.

Among the entire male population, approximately 2.3 percent had ever adopted, while 1.1 percent of all women had done so, the figures show.

However, Jeff Katz, a consultant on adoption and foster care issues who also offers parenting advice, told the Associated Press that there could be a good reason for this disparity.

"More women get custody of children in divorce cases, so after a divorce the mom is living with her kids and she meets a man, and they get married, and he adopts her children," he said.

According to the Department for Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families, the most common type of adoption is that involving a stepparent.

It advises that requirements for this type of adoption vary from state to state, with some offering a streamlined process, while others stipulate that the custodial parent and stepparent need to be married for at least one year before the process can begin.