What Is A Vasectomy

For many years couples who wanted to use a form of birth control to keep from having children would purchase pills for the woman or would have her undergo a tubal ligation. This is a procedure that ties or severs off the woman’s fallopian tubes so that she is not able to fertilize. This procedure can be hard on the woman and will often take her weeks to recover.

More recently men who are single or even in a relationship are considering using a form of male birth control called the vasectomy. This is a medical procedure similar to the tubal ligation in a woman. It will cut or sever the vas tubes inside of the man in order to keep the sperm from being expelled during sexual intercourse. Although it can be reversed it is considered to be permanent.

The Procedure

The procedure itself is done inside of the doctor’s office or in an outpatient surgery center. In most cases the procedure will take at least thirty minutes during which time you will be awake. You won’t feel any pain during the process once the doctor injects you with a local anesthesia that will numb the whole area of the scrotum.

When the area is completely numb the doctor will make a small incision on one side of your scrotum and pull out a portion of the vas deferens. Even though you will not feel any pain you might feel a slight tugging. The doctor will remove a part of the vas deferens and either stitch it or burn it closed. They will then close the incision with a few stitches before moving to the other side of the scrotum and repeating the process.

After the doctor has completed the procedure they will place a scrotal support – which should be kept on an entire week except while sleeping or taking a shower. To help you recuperate faster you doctor will suggest that you use an ice pack to reduce swelling and take some mild pain killers to help with the soreness and discomfort. The stitches will disappear on their own between three to ten days.

When Is It Safe To Have Sex

The only reason that men have this operation done is because they don’t want anymore kids. One of the first thing they want to know is when it is safe to have sex again after the procedure is completed and they have healed. Too many of them will assume that the operation is immediate and become shocked when they find out a month later that their partner is pregnant.

It is necessary for the man to ejaculate between fifteen to twenty times before the sperm is fully removed from the vas deferens. Although no more is being carried through them there are leftovers that you have to remove. It is important that you continue to use some form of birth control until the doctor has cleared you. This can take as long as three months.