Top Questions Everyone Wants to Know about a Vasectomy
Being fully informed about a vasectomy and what it entails is very important for men and even their partners. This is a fairly permanent form of birth control for men so they should be very sure that they no longer want children. Each person’s circumstances are different and therefore, a vasectomy may not always be the proper choice for a situation so a lot of thought will need to go into the decision.
Because a vasectomy deals some delicate issues and areas, there are often many questions that people have in regards to the procedure. Here are some of the top questions and their respective answers:
1. What is a vasectomy? It is a small surgical procedure that basically renders a man sterile, meaning unable to father children. The procedure involves cutting the small tube called the vas deferens which carries the children-producing sperm from the testicles to the semen. A vasectomy does not affect sexual intercourse in any way and the semen produced during the act will not contain sperm.
2. How quickly does the vasectomy take to work? Contrary to popular belief, sterility does not happen right away following the procedure. It will take some time for the sperm to disappear from the semen, even with the vas deferens being cut. The doctors requests that patients come in for several appointments to have their semen tested for motile sperm. It may take a few tests over the period of a few weeks before knowing definitively when the sperm disappears and no alternate form of birth control is needed.
3. If the vas deferens is cut, where do the sperm end up and what happens to them? This is one of the most curious questions in regards to vasectomies. Basically, the body will reabsorb the sperm naturally. The vasectomy does not stop the testes from producing sperm but it does stop them from ending up in the semen.
4. What about the sex life after a vasectomy? The answer is that only the physical transportation of sperm is interrupted not your sex drive or the ability to have an orgasm, erection or ejaculation. Even the semen looks the same as it always has because only a minute portion of its contents (sperm) are gone and the rest of the liquid remains the same. Hormone levels also do not change with a vasectomy. Many men report an increased sex drive because there is no niggling worry in the back of their mind about birth control. Of course, a vasectomy does not stop the spread of STDs.
5. Can the vasectomy be reversed later on? The answer is yes although the procedure should be viewed as permanent. It would take a very skilled surgeon specializing in microsurgery to reverse the vasectomy and still there is no guarantee that the surgery would work and sperm would find its way back into the semen. For this reason, men should carefully consider and re-consider the procedure before proceeding.
6. What are the risks? There are always risks with a surgical procedure but the vasectomy is among the safest around. If there are any complications, it is usually in the form of infection at the incision site, minor swelling or bruising or even accumulation of fluid. Typically, these effects are easily treated and do go away on their own. Most men do have some mild pain but nothing compared to a woman going through a tubal litigation, the female equivalent of becoming sterile.
All in all, if a man has his mind made up to go through with a vasectomy, the most crucial part of the whole process is choosing the right doctor for the procedure. Conducting due diligence, gathering references and getting several opinions will help narrow down the best surgeon for the procedure.
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