A simple, painless, 10-minute procedure in the doctor’s office can provide men with a lifetime of reliable contraception.
It’s a simple surgery with a simple goal:
Vasectomy provides permanent male birth control by severing and blocking the tubes through which sperm pass to mix with semen.
Sperm are produced in the male’s testes (testicles) and stored in an adjacent structure called the epididymis. During sexual climax, the sperm migrate from the epididymis through a pair of tubes called the vas deferens and mix with other components of semen to form the ejaculate.
All vasectomy techniques involve cutting and sealing both the left and right vas deferens, so the ejaculate will no longer contain sperm, and pregnancy will not occur.
In the traditional vasectomy, a technique going back a hundred years, the physician makes one or two small incisions, or cuts, in the skin of the scrotum; the vas is cut, and a small piece may be removed. Next, the doctor seals the cut ends and sews up the scrotal incision. The entire procedure is then repeated on the other side.
How we do it
At Premier, we use a method called scalpel-free vasectomy introduced in the U.S. in 1988. We use a special instrument to make a single tiny puncture in the skin and stretch the opening so that both tubes can be cut and sealed. No stitches are needed to close the punctures, which heal quickly by themselves.
Studies show that the noscalpel method produces less pain and fewer complications than the conventional method. There’s less bleeding, bruising, and risk of infection. In addition, no-scalpel vasectomy permits a faster return to sexual activity.
Protection against pregnancy doesn’t occur immediately after vasectomy. Sperm count decreases gradually over two or three months and with each ejaculation. Some other form of contraception is needed until microscopic examination of a semen sample confirms that the semen is sperm-free.
It’s also important to remember that vasectomy provides no protection, for you or your partner, against sexually transmitted diseases.
The big question
In the United States, one in six men over the age of 35 has had a vasectomy. They can tell you that the procedure has absolutely no effect on sexuality. The body continues releasing the same amount of testosterone, the hormone related to sex drive, beard, deep voice and other masculine traits.
There is no change in erection, sensation, or orgasm after vasectomy, and the amount of semen remains the same, though free of sperm.
In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, “men who have undergone the procedure, and their partners, find that sex is more spontaneous and enjoyable once they are freed from concerns about contraception and accidental pregnancy.”