Male vasectomy

What the packet says

What is it?

How it works

A vasectomy (male sterilisation) is a permanent surgical procedure to cut or seal the tubes that carry a man’s sperm. It prevents pregnancy by stopping sperm getting into a man’s semen. The procedure is usually done whilst the man is under local anaesthetic, when you’re awake but don’t feel any pain and takes about 15 minutes.

How does this compare?

Frequency

  • During intercourse
  • Daily
  • Monthly
  • 1 - 3 Months
  • 1 - 3 Years
  • 3 - 5 Years
  • Permanent

Similar to

Clinical effectiveness

99% if used perfectly

What does this mean?

Contains hormones

  • Yes
  • No
What does this mean?

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What you said

These stats are based on 5 reviews

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Detailed information

How to get started

  • You will need to discuss getting a vasectomy in detail with your doctor – they will ask you a number of questions around your circumstances and you may want to discuss it with your partner.
  • If you decide to go ahead with it, you can get a vasectomy for free on the NHS but may need to wait several months on a waiting list.
  • There are two types of vasectomy – a Conventional vasectomy (where they make two small cuts in the skin on each side of your scrotum to reach the tubes) and the No scalpel vasectomy (where they make a tiny puncture hole, no stitches required). With both types they remove a small section of the tubes, before closing them by tying them or using heat.
  • The doctor or nurse should give you information about how to look after yourself in the weeks following your vasectomy. Men will normally have some mild discomfort and swelling after the operation – most can return to work within 1-2 days.  
  • About 12 weeks after the operation, men should have a semen test to see if the sperm have gone. Sometimes more than one test is needed.
  • Once the vasectomy has been confirmed as successful, there is no need for additional contraception.

How to stop

  • Vasectomies are very difficult to reverse, so men need to consider all options and use other methods of contraception until they’re completely sure. Reversing a vasectomy involves rejoining the sperm-carrying tubes that were cut or blocked during your vasectomy, and success will depend upon how and when you were sterilised

Things that can go wrong

  • Sometimes men have unprotected sex too soon after surgery and there is still sperm present in their semen.
  • About one in 2,000 male sterilisations fail – this can happen for a number of reasons, the tubes that carry the sperm can occasionally rejoin after sterilisation, immediately or some years after the operation has been carried out. Very rarely there are surgical errors, and the procedure is not completed correctly.
  • Occasionally, some men have bleeding, a large swelling, or an infection. In this case, see your doctor as soon as possible. Sometimes sperm may leak out of the tubes and collect in the surrounding tissue. This may cause inflammation and pain immediately or later on, but can be treated.
  • A small number of men experience ongoing pain in their testicles, scrotum, penis or lower abdomen. This is known as chronic post-vasectomy pain or CPVP. Drug treatments may be effective in easing the pain and some men require further surgery. It’s not always possible to relieve these symptoms permanently.

Reviews

12/06/2020

Male vasectomy

Vasectomy has been a very effective contraceptive for me. It is good because it has allowed my hormones to follow a natural rhy…

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20/08/2019

Male vasectomy

As noted before, testicular pain/discomfort and testicles sensitive to pressure to the extent that rucked underpants could lead…

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28/06/2019

Male vasectomy

For women, this is the most natural contraceptive on the market.
For me and all the other men, its mostly psychological, …

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20/06/2019

Male vasectomy

Vasectomies are relatively safe for surgical procedures, but it is STILL SURGERY and as such has risks and side effects.

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02/04/2019

Male vasectomy

I had a vasectomy at the age of 31 after fathering two children. I didn’t want my wife to be taking drugs for the rest of…

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