Ten months ago I had a vasectomy because I knew I did not want children at any point in my life.
I still regard it as one of the best decisions I've made for myself, and if I had to do it over again I would in a heartbeat.
So what exactly is a vasectomy? Well, to really get the definition, let's trace the word's etymology. The word "vasectomy" is quite literal in what the procedure entails. The prefix "vas-" refers to the vasa deferentia, the two tubes that connect the testicles to the ejaculatory duct and thus carry the sperm from the testicles where they are manufactured into the semen which then exits the man's body during ejaculation. The suffix "-ectomy" is the standard Greek suffix meaning "to cut out." Now, it's a little bit misleading, because vasectomy doesn't actually cut out the entire length of the vasa deferentia, but rather just a snippet is taken out. We'll discuss more about how that's accomplished later.
First, we'll discuss the benefits of vasectomy, and there are many. Aside from abstinence, vasectomy is the single most effective form of contraception, being 99.9% effective (making it even more effective than tubal ligation), and most failures happen because couples engage in unprotected sex too soon after the procedure (more on that to come later). Recovery time is usually very fast, and it's even faster with modern vasectomy techniques. Further, vasectomy is much less invasive than tubal ligation, making it a much safer, affordable procedure than tubal ligation, and also offers women the eliminated risk of side effects due to chemical birth control. Finally, vasectomy will not negatively affect you or your partner's sex life, so no need to worry about that (and some couples think it enhances their sex life due to not having to worry about unwanted pregnancy).
There are a few downsides to vasectomy as well. The biggest one being that despite being super-effective against unwanted pregnancy, vasectomy does not prevent against sexually transmitted infections, so be sure to continue to use condoms even after you've had a vasectomy to protect yourself against STIs. Another downside is that though it's sometimes reversible, it's not always, and vasectomy should be regarded as permanent, so be sure you don't want any more children before having one (and the longer after vasectomy you wait for reversal, the less the chances of success since the body will start producing antibodies that attack the sperm). Occasionally men will develop chronic pain due to the vasectomy, a condition known as Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome, but this phenomenon is actually pretty rare. Any surgical procedure comes with a small risk of infection, and vasectomy is no different. Also, the procedure is not immediately effective, and it takes a few months for the sperm to clear out, so be sure to continue to use other forms of contraception until your semen has been tested by a doctor and been verified to be sperm-free. Finally, it was once suggested that vasectomy increased a man's risk of prostate cancer, but this link has long since been discredited.
Now we'll talk some about the different methods of vasectomy that are used. There are many subcategories, but they all pretty much fall under one of three general variants: traditional vasectomy (which is age-old and being phased out), no-scalpel vasectomy (the most common today), and no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy (which is very new technology). Traditional vasectomy involves the use of a needle to inject anesthetic into the vasa deferentia and incision sites, and then two small cuts are made above each vas deferens using a scalpel. They are then lifted out, a piece cut out, and then tied off with clamps, preventing sperm from entering into the upper vasa deferentia. In more recent times, the vasa deferentia are cauterized instead of being clamped, which has resulted in increased efficacy.
The no-scalpel vasectomy is similar to the traditional vasectomy, except for that instead of two incisions being made above the vasa deferentia, one small hole is punctured in the middle of the scrotum where both vasa deferentia are then operated on. This speeds recovery time and eliminates the need for stitches.
The no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy is cutting-edge technology which takes all the pain and anxiety out of the vasectomy procedure. It's identical to the no-scalpel vasectomy, except for the anesthetic is delivered using a jet injection system instead of a customary needle-and-syringe. Since the application of anesthetic is by far the worst part of the procedure, this method has eliminated the pain of traditional injections, and each small jet injection feeling akin to a rubber band pop. This cutting-edge method is what my doctor used to perform mine, and I couldn't be happier with the results or the relative comfort of the procedure, and I absolutely recommend that you seek out a doctor who performs vasectomies using this amazing new technology. The only cautionary note here is this: if you have particularly thick scrotal skin, the jet injection system will not effectively penetrate the scrotal skin and numb the area. However, this isn't an issue for the vast majority of patients.
Hopefully this guide can help you decide if vasectomy is right for you or your partner. Any man age 18 or over (or the age of consent in your country), with any number of children (including zero) is eligible to have a vasectomy, though if you're particularly young or have no children, you might have to do some bribing to get your doctor to cave. Don't give up though, and remember money speaks volumes. If you live in a country that has government-run health care, seek out a private clinic. Yes, you'll have to pay out-of-pocket, but they are much less likely to refuse. You just really have to be sure this is what you want, and you might be sent to pre-op counseling to verify this, but don't back down.
I'd like to close this entry by linking to a
video of a no-needle, no-scalpel vasectomy.
It is rather graphic, so don't watch it if you have a weak stomach, but in case you were wondering what the procedure is like, there you have it.
Good luck.
Have you or anyone you know had a vasectomy? Do you think the pros outweigh the cons, or the other way around? What are your thoughts?Smaranda was kind enough to run a guest blog about my vasectomy experience.So if you want to read that, I'll just refer you to the post here.
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Comments (27)
If my boyfriend and I had children in the future and we decided we didn't want anymore, I wouldn't have him have a vasectomy. I'm afraid we would change our mind and it would be irreversible. I would just do what we do now: the pill and condom properly used which is 99% foolproof.
I still don't quite understand why you (or someone in your position as you describe it) would do this. Are you seeing someone you're banging that you're scared you're going to knock up? From the other comments I've seen you leave, it doesn't seem that you're banging anyone currently, and regret having sex before marriage (or maybe that was someone else). Bearing that in mind, the only benefits you list are sexual, so ...why have an not-yet-necessary procedure? Well, it's not really ever necessary, as there are many other, non-invasive forms of birth control, but ...I think you get what I'm asking.
And no, I'm not willing to compromise on children. It was more or less surgery to enforce my decision in the future.
I, for one, commend you on taking control of this matter. My BF got his done a couple of months ago. He knew, without a doubt, he didn't want children. I was more of a fence-sitter, but the older I get, the less I want my own. I have yet to really start my career, and in all honesty, I can't really start it, take a year or so off in a couple of years, and really expect to be where I want to be in terms of my career. Aside from career aspirations, I really didn't want to have nannies raising my kids (between my career & the BF's, our time at home is limited, our time together even more so).
I get flack for the "no kids" path we've started down, but it's getting easier to brush off. Much better to seriously consider the decision now than end up with an "oops" and have to rearrange everything then. Maybe my BF and I are selfish in making this decision, but I believe it was the right one for us.
Good for you for taking action and making a decision for yourself.
To all the people giving him flak for making this decision - not everyone wants kids. Not everyone should have kids. Just because you cannot conceive ever doing this doesn't make it wrong or illegitimate.I always hope all the couples out there who are wanting to do something like this will choose a vasectomy over tubal ligation - so much more painless and comes with less medical complications!
I salute you for your decision & the intelligent portrayal of facts and options with regards to voluntary sterilization.
I too knew from a young age I did not want to have kids. I was told it would be difficult to find a doctor to perform a hysterectomy on me, as I was young & healthy. It wasn't, but I think because I had good insurance... I told him what I wanted, & he said all the insurance co. needs is some medical history to back up the need for the surgery. One laproscopy confirmed endometriosis, & a year later it was a done deal.
Best thing that ever happened to me.
@Grtt@xanga - It's about making 100% sure that you don't get stuck with a kid you don't want. I'm highly considering getting it myself....the only thing holding me back is nerves really.
@StatelessPilot@revelife - I'm starting to think the reason why people hate on those who don't want kids is because misery loves company and they want you to suffer the way they've suffered. I have to ask - did it hurt? I'm thinking of getting it done and that's the main thing slowing down my decision is the possible pain.
Thank you so much for posting this. My fiance and I have discussed him getting a vasectomy and we are thinking we want to do it. We've been together over 4 years and are planning our wedding currently - it would be nice to get this done pre-wedding so we can carelessly enjoy the honeymoon.
@BimmerPhile@xanga - To minimize both during-op and post-op pain, seek out a doctor who does the no-needle, no-scalpel method. The most pain I endured during the procedure was a rubber band pop sensation (from the administration of the anesthetic). I was a little achy for awhile afterward, but I felt well enough to go for a 5-mile run the very next morning. You might not be so lucky, but that was the case with me.
@StatelessPilot@revelife - Honestly, your decision is a selfless one and if anyone tries to say otherwise they've not thought it through. There are so many children in the world, why add more? The only thing that saddens me is that your a smart guy, and not passing on the intellect you have via genetics is sort of disappointing - but I'm sure you've seen the movie Idocracy and it will play out like that regardless.
@zretrareo27@xanga - I have seen that movie, and that's how it will happen. Except for I'm not so sure as though intelligence is something you can selectively breed (I've heard it suggested that you can and also that you can't).
But you are right. It's been statistically shown that the more education someone has, the less likely they are to want/have kids. Idiocracy will be how the human race ends, you just watch (and at the rate we're going the human race will probably be extinct before too long).
@StatelessPilot@revelife - No doubt that we're rapidly running into an increasingly dumber population. I'm glad I won't live to see the worst of it.
I have to say, that is the one thing I view as a downside of me deciding to never have kids - the fact that I won't be able to help increase the average intelligence level. I suppose I can always try with my sisters' kids.
@BimmerPhile@xanga - Uh, right. But if you're not having sex (which is an assumption I made based on previous comments the guy made on other posts, and noticed that he didn't correct me on), you're 100% guaranteed already to not have children. If you are, then sure, this makes perfect sense. If you're not, well, who's to say you'll ever find someone who's willing to put up with you? Then you just paid a lot of money to have your balls fondled for no reason. Maybe I'm just stingy.
Well that is good that you did what you wanted to do ;) Not everyone wants kids and that's fine.
@StatelessPilot@revelife - That's a lot of shoes.
@Grtt@xanga - $200 pales in comparison to the $100,000+ it causes to raise one kid for 18 years.
If I put away all the money I'd spend raising three kids for 18 years, I'd have more than enough to pay cash for a private airplane, just to put that in perspective.
Good for you! A very commendable decision.
Thanks for writing this post! I've always thought that if I meet someone I love I would make sure that he and I both do not want children. I don't think I'm "mother-material" because I'm not really affectionate or patient because of the way I was raised (mom and dad struggled to tell me they loved me). Its also not because I was a terrible kid but because they were raised in nonaffectionate households as well. Anyway, I would totally have my future husband get a vasectomy to avoid having any children. Thats all I want to say.
I think since you know you don't want kids this was a wise choice for you!! We are done after this baby. #3 for us. We're still undecided whether I will have the essure procedure done or if my husband will get the snip. It's not that we don't want more children, we don't want anymore biological children. We plan on becoming foster parents in around 5 years and then if we feel led to adopt.
wow. I think this is a great guide for guys who are too nervous to do the snip even though for so many guys I know, the pros far, far outweigh the cons (and the child support checks are getting heavier). They should offer this free to low-income families who keep reproducing like bunnies.
AHH AHAHHAHAH my friend Deanna and her husband had 4 daughters and after the youngest he had a vasectomy... 2 years later guess who is pregnant? Deanna!! And it's her husbands!!! Mmm hmmm they might be 99% but after hearing about her and talking about it, we're finding out more and more people that happened to AND they didn't sleep around.