A vasectomy closes off the tubes in your scrotum that carry sperm to the outside world. It’s safe, fast and almost 100% effective at preventing pregnancy.
But it doesn’t work immediately, and you’ll need to have a semen analysis every few weeks for three months after the surgery. Here’s how it works:.
How long will I need to worry about pregnancy?
The vasectomy procedure cuts or blocks the small tubes in the penis (vas deferens) that carry sperm out of the testicles. This keeps the sperm from joining with other fluids in the prostate and seminal vesicle to form semen. You will still make sperm after a vasectomy, but the microscopic sperm cells will be absorbed by the body instead of coming out in your semen. You can still have sex, but it’s best to use another form of birth control to avoid pregnancy until a doctor confirms that your semen no longer contains sperm.
Your doctor will check your semen for sperm after about three months of recovery. If the results meet American Urological Association guidelines, you will be considered sterile. Your doctor may ask you to masturbate into a cup or use a sperm test kit to get a sample of your semen.
You will probably need to ejaculate 20 times or more before your doctor can tell that your semen is sperm-free. Your sperm will look and smell the same, but it won’t have microscopic sperm cells in it anymore. Your erections and orgasm should feel the same, too. But if you have pain in your testicles after a vasectomy, see your urologist. A condition called postvasectomy pain syndrome can occur in two percent of men after vasectomies and lasts for three months or more.
Will I be sterile immediately?
A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that cuts or seals the tubes that carry a man’s sperm to permanently prevent pregnancy. It’s a very common operation performed under local anaesthetic in a doctor’s office and takes less than 15 minutes. It’s also very effective at preventing pregnancy, with a success rate of more than 99.9%.
However, a vasectomy does not guarantee immediate sterility. It can take several weeks, or up to 20 ejaculations, for all the sperm to clear out of your semen. That’s why it’s important to use alternative forms of birth control until a semen analysis confirms that your sperm count is zero.
While a semen analysis is not necessary for most people, it may be recommended to help make sure that your vasectomy is working properly. To have a semen analysis, your doctor will ask you to masturbate into a container or use a condom without lubrication or spermicide during intercourse and provide them with a sample of your semen for examination under a microscope.
Although it is very rare, vasectomy failure can occur. If a small portion of the vas deferens was not sealed, it will need to be repaired during a follow-up appointment. This is usually done using cautery and is generally quick and painless, but it is not always successful.
Will I need to use another form of birth control?
A vasectomy blocks the sperm (the reproductive cells) made by the testicles from reaching your semen. But your semen still contains sperm, which can fertilize an egg and cause pregnancy. So for several months or longer, you will need to use another form of birth control if you want to avoid pregnancy. This includes condoms, female birth control pills, or medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera) shots.
You should also continue using another form of birth control when you have oral, penis, or vaginal sex. A vasectomy doesn’t affect your sexual drive or desire for sex, but if you have sex without protection, there is a risk of getting an STD such as HIV.
Ejaculation after a vasectomy usually feels the same as it did before the surgery, although your first few ejaculations may be painful because you are removing the sperm from the tubes in the penis. Your doctor will need to test your semen, called a sperm count, about three months after the procedure. This requires a sample that you will give to your doctor by masturbating into a cup.
You can resume normal activities within 48 hours after the vasectomy, but you should use a backup method of birth control until a sperm count shows that your semen is free of sperm. This will take about three months or 20 ejaculations.
Will I need to have a semen analysis?
A semen analysis tests for the presence of sperm in a man’s sample. A doctor or a lab will have you masturbate into a cup or use a special condom without lubrication to collect the semen. Then, the test is done under a microscope to see whether there are any sperm in it. A semen analysis also checks for agglutination, which describes clumping of the sperm. The health professional can also check for immature germ cells and leukocytes, which are white blood cells that fight infection.
The number of sperm in the sample is important because it helps determine how well the vasectomy worked. If a man’s sample has a low sperm count, it means that the ducts that carry sperm are still open. This condition is called oligospermia. The doctor will perform another sperm count after some time to make sure that there are no sperm in the semen.
Some doctors recommend that men get a follow-up sperm count every 20 ejaculations or three months after a vasectomy. In one case, a man conceived seven years after he had a vasectomy with cautery. This shows that late recanalization can occur, but it should not prevent a couple from having a child. Even so, a vasectomy only fails to block the tubes that carry sperm in less than one out of 10,000 cases. This is far less than the failure rate of any other form of birth control, including condoms.
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