Questions Women Ask When A Couple Contemplates a Vasectomy
The choice of birth control is something that every sexual individual must decide upon. When you are part of a couple, the decision is often a joint one. When contemplating using a vasectomy as birth control, even though it is a procedure for the male body, the female involved in the birth control choice often has questions regarding the procedure and the effectiveness of the birth control method. These questions and the answers are often times very intimate in nature. They should be asked and answered before deciding on a birth control method because an informed decision is the best one to make.
Common Questions that are asked by women when a vasectomy is being considered, and the answers follow and should be used as a guide for discussing this option with your doctor:
Women may ask about:
The sexual performance following a vasectomy….
The vasectomy procedure stops the sperm from reaching the semen, it in no way has any affect on the male’s ability to perform the sexual act, to eject semen, or to have his normal sexual drive.
During the sexual act, the male will still eject semen; in fact, after the procedure the male will need to have approximately 20 ejaculations before all of the sperm present in his system before and during the procedure have been released from his body. During these 20 ejaculations the woman can still become pregnant if they are not using alternative birth control. A sperm test will need to be taken after these 20 ejaculations and a negative result obtained before the vasectomy can be considered a viable birth control method.
Most males will experience slight swelling and discomfort or pain in the area of the procedure. Doctor’s usually advise to wait a minimum of a week sometimes two weeks before resuming most physical activities including the sexual kind.
Procedure questions and answers…..
The vasectomy procedure is a safe and effective method of birth control that will leave no virtual scar or noticeable difference to the touch or appearance of the scrotum.
What happens to the sperm that is produced after the vasectomy?
Testicles will still produce sperm after the vasectomy, the sperm will dissolve and be absorbed by the body, just like all other unused sperm are in males whether they have had a vasectomy or not.
How long will the male be in discomfort or pain after the vasectomy and how can I help him?
There will be some degree of discomfort or pain for the first day and possibly up to three days following the procedure.
Your doctor can give instructions regarding any medications for pain relief as well as any other procedure such as applying an ice pack to relieve discomfort and swelling.
Like other birth control methods, a vasectomy will not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms are the only known birth control method that reduces the risk associated with sexually transmitted diseases.
Young couples (under age 25) should be very careful when considering any birth control method that is permanent. Vasectomy reversal is possible but is an expensive, and usually not covered by insurance procedure that is not guaranteed to work.
Questions about vasectomy versus a tubal ligation…..
The vasectomy is just as safe, is faster and easier to perform.
The vasectomy is considered to be minor surgery and can even be performed in a doctor’s office. The tubal ligation is major surgery and must be performed under general anesthesia.
A tubal ligation requires a longer recovery period and is more expensive to perform.
Any surgical procedure carries with it risks from the surgery as well as from the anesthesia. A vasectomy is performed using local anesthesia while the tubal ligation is performed using general anesthesia, which carries a higher level of risk.
