Vasectomy: Taboo for Men

While women use all sorts of contraceptives, vasectomy is still a taboo for men.

A lot of men do not know exactly what vasectomy is

Vasectomy should be taught in sex education classes at school. Namely, a lot of men still do not know how vasectomy is actually done. They are afraid that it means complete removal of their testicles, the inability to experience erection and orgasm in sexual intercourse, a reduction in the size of their testicles, or it leads to potency problems. Of course, that is not the case. By having a vasectomy, men are permanently protected against unwanted pregnancies. You should decide for this type of contraception when you are certain that you do not want to have children any more. According to the law, you can have a vasectomy after the age of 35, or you can also have it sooner if you and your partner are not satisfied with other forms of contraception, or if they cause health problems. The procedure is simple and takes a few minutes, and side effects are very rare. The surgeon cuts through the vas deferens and then seals off the ends, so no sperm can travel from the testicles. You experience ejaculation during an orgasm equally as prior to the procedure, only sperm can no longer get into the semen, which is of key importance for fertilization.

It is hard for men to consent to vasectomy

Gynecological examinations are a bigger problem to men than women. Women are faced with gynecological examinations from the first sexual intercourse on or even sooner, and they get used to the examinations and various procedures in time. When men are faced with gynecological procedures, they automatically take a step back. Some men do not even want to hear about them. However, it is good to know that every woman does not tolerate contraception. Hormonal contraception, that is, contraceptive pills, can cause a number of physical complications, such as poor eyesight, migraine, breast cancer and so on, and sterilization and intrauterine devices are much more complicated than vasectomy. The possible complications of intrauterine device are a severe inflammation of your vagina, sexual problems, bleeding, and a man can have unpleasant feelings during sexual intercourse. There were cases where the partner touched the wire of the implant with the head of his penis during sexual intercourse. In that case, it is recommended that you discuss the proper contraceptive method. Use of condom is still the easiest method. 

Is it possible to reverse a vasectomy?

Vasectomy can be reversed in 95 per cent of men, while sterilization represents the end of the road for a woman in terms of having children. Of course, both partners should be absolutely certain that they do not want children any more. If there is a strong desire to reverse vasectomy, doctors perform the procedure called vasovasostomy in which they reattach the vas deferens and thus establish the original state. However, that does not mean you are fertile again. In many cases, men are still infertile after vasovasostomy. There are many reasons for this, including blockages in the vas deferens and the presence of sperm antibodies which disrupt normal sperm activity. More than half of men who had a vasectomy done develop the above antibodies that hinder the flow of sperm. There are 50-75 per cent of patients in this category. Vasectomy reversal is a difficult and very expensive procedure.

What about side effects?

Similar to other operations, slight tenderness and swelling can appear a few days after the procedure, and it is therefore recommended that you rest during recovery. This period lasts less than a week. A lot of men undergo the procedure on Friday and are back at work on Monday. Side effects of this type of contraception are very rare. Men can have sexual relations after a few days, and after the twelfth ejaculation they can be certain that their semen does not contain sperm any more. Until then it is recommended that they use condoms. In 1992, the British Medical Journal reported that complications usually appeared within eight to ten days after the procedure. The incubation period of local infections is one year. If you have an infection, it can be treated within a week. After an operation, a possible psychological side effect for a man is loss of libido, but only if he thinks he lost his potency as well.

Read more about different methods of contraception in the Encyclopedia of Sexuality.