
Vasectomy
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What is it?
- How does it work?
- How effective is it in preventing pregnancy?
- What are the advantages?
- What are the disadvantages?
What is it?
Male sterilization (also known as a vasectomy) is a surgical procedure to
permanently close or block the vas deferens (the tubes that carry sperm from the
testicles to the penis). The male is still able to ejaculate during sex, but the
fluid does not contain any sperm. The procedure is a minor operation and is
considered permanent because reversal is difficult and expensive.
How does it work?
A vasectomy can be done in a physician's office, hospital or clinic. After
giving a local anaesthetic to freeze the scrotum, the physician makes one or two
small incisions in the scrotum so the vas deferens can be reached. The tubes are
then cut and the ends tied, stitched or clipped. Once the tubes are blocked, no
sperm are released in the man's ejaculate (semen). If there are no sperm
present, a woman's egg cannot be fertilized.
A vasectomy will not affect sexual drive and there will be no noticeable change
in the volume of ejaculate. However, the man may still have sperm in his
ejaculate for up to 3 months after the surgery. Therefore, another form of
contraception is required until a follow-up semen analysis shows no sperm.
How effective is it in preventing pregnancy?
- A vasectomy is considered 99.9% effective
- The main reason for failure after a vasectomy is because back-up contraception
was not used between the time of surgery and the follow-up semen analysis.
What are the advantages?
- The most effective method of contraception controlled by a male
- Permanent method of contraception
- Does not interfere with intercourse
- No significant long term side effects
- Less invasive and more cost-effective than female
sterilization
What are the disadvantages?
- Considered permanent; difficult to have reversed
- Possible short-term surgery related complications include: pain & swelling,
infection at the incision site
- Not effective immediately. Need follow-up semen analysis that shows no sperm are
present in the semen.
- Does not protect against
sexually
transmitted infections