Vasectomy

Things to Consider about a Vasectomy

There comes a time in any man’s life when he feels like he’s had enough crayons being used on the wall; enough cereal spilled on the floor, and definitely enough late nights being awakened at two hour intervals because the newborn needs to be fed. Sure, he loves and adores the kids he has; he just absolutely doesn’t want any more. Before, this would be the point where the couple would sit down and discuss a tubal ligation, a procedure done on women to prevent eggs from entering the womb. As times are more modern and men are beginning to accept the fact that birth control and contraception is their responsibility as well, vasectomies are becoming more popular.

What is a vasectomy? To quote Wikipedia.com, “Vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure wherein the vasa deferentia of a man are severed, and sealed in a manner such to prevent sperm from entering the seminal stream (ejaculate).” To put it in terms that can be easily understood: a vasectomy is when a doctor cuts the connection between the testicles and the rest of the baby-making parts. The tubes (aka vas deferens) are then clamped shut. There are multiple means to performing a vasectomy, and the best explanation on all of them is obtained from a doctor.

So, should you have one and save your wife the pain of a tubal ligation? There are many things to consider before having the procedure. Studies show that a large majority of men (approximately 90%) who have a vasectomy see no change in their sex drive. There are also studies that show opposite results so personal research is important and whether or not your sex drive will drop depends on which source you trust more.

One common misconception about having a vasectomy is that the male will no longer be able to ejaculate. The truth is that sperm and its accompanying fluid from the testes only account for about 10% of an ejaculation in men who haven’t had a vasectomy. Having the procedure done does not have a significant impact on any part of the ejaculation.

There are many pros to having a vasectomy. The one that draws the most attention is the difference in safety. 4 out of every 100,000 women who undergo a tubal ligation are lost during the surgery. Only 0.1 out of every 100,000 men are lost during a vasectomy. If that weren’t enough the vasectomy is a much simpler medical procedure which in turn means it typically costs less.

While some men do experience depression, anxiety and/or anger symptoms after the surgery, the most common side-effect is known as Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome or PVPS. Studies vary, but estimate that between 5% and 35% of men who’ve had a vasectomy end up suffering from PVPS and can occur during sex, during ejaculation, or any kind of physical exertion. A study of 13 men showed a vasovasostomy, or vasectomy reversal, typically resolves the problem in 69% of the participants.

What doctors can agree on is that while a procedure to reverse a vasectomy does exist. It should not be thought of as a reversible procedure.

Related Article: Tubal Ligation