A vasectomy is essentially male sterilization and is the most reliable form of birth control. It is an extremely safe procedure with complications uncommon. Of course, all medical procedures have possible risks, but these are extremely rare with a vasectomy.
The Pros
Apart from being 99% effective as birth control, a vasectomy will not affect a men’s testosterone levels, erections, climaxes, or sex drive. The patient will still be able to ejaculate but his semen will contain no sperm after “the snip”. The sperm is still produced but reabsorbed by the body. It is a minor procedure that can be performed in 20-40 minutes with local, light or general anesthetic.
It can considerably improve a couple’s sex life as there is now no concern that the woman may become pregnant. Sex can become more spontaneous, more intimate, more satisfying, and even more frequent. The recovery period is quick, usually a day, with many men having the operation on a Friday and returning to work on Monday. He is advised to refrain from heavy work, strenuous activity, or sexual activity for a week after the procedure. There are fewer complications with this procedure and it is also less expensive than female sterilization. It allows the woman partner to stop taking her birth control precautions which can often have serious side effects, so this is beneficial for the partner’s health and well-being.
The Cons
Neither partner is protected against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases so, in that case, further protection is required. The existing sperm needs to be cleared from the system before it is safe to have unprotected sex to avoid pregnancy. This takes up to three months or twenty ejaculations. A test will then be performed to detect the presence of the sperm in the semen at this time. In the meantime, additional birth control is required.
In some circumstances reversal is possible, but this is more complicated than the initial procedure and is not a guaranteed success.
In very rare cases, the patient can develop bleeding or a clot inside the scrotum, bruising, infection, swelling, blood in the semen, or mild pain or discomfort. Some men experience depression post-procedure which can affect them emotionally for an extended time. A few patients experience chronic pain in the testicles immediately after or for a few months after the procedure.
Make Certain It Is for You
The male needs to be 100% sure that he wants to go through with the procedure as a reversal is not easy or always successful. If in doubt, rather investigate having some sperm frozen for future use if the situation changes drastically. Current findings have claimed that a male vasectomy does not raise the risk of getting prostate cancer.
Many couples believe that once they have a family, it is now the man’s turn to step up to the plate. His sexual desire or ability to reach orgasms is not altered by the procedure and he is no less manly as he still produces semen but the sperm have been prevented from entering the semen.
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