Should My Husband Get a Vasectomy?

Have you and your husband been considering a vasectomy? Lots of couples do, once they’ve decided they’re done having children. It’s very common simply because it is much easier than a woman having a tubal ligation.

“My husband volunteered for a vasectomy," mom and blogger Jana Seltzer told Mom.com. "He knew it was the fair thing given I carried our four babies to term.”

Your husband needs to know the vasectomy facts. No one really loves the idea of elective surgery, especially men, and especially when it concerns their genitalia. The idea of cutting anything around their manly bits scares most men but with a little research and knowledge about all things vasectomy, they’ll come around. Especially when they realize all the sex they can have without worry of surprise babies to feed and send to college. So, should your husband get a vasectomy?

What is a vasectomy?

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A vasectomy is the most effective form of birth control for men. The procedure stops the supply of sperm to the man’s semen. It's done by cutting and sealing the tubes that carry the sperm. A vasectomy is a low-risk (but high-reward) procedure with very few side effects, and is often performed as an outpatient (but don’t try this at home folks) procedure under local anesthesia with a fairly quick recovery time. Before your husband gets a vasectomy, he needs to be sure he doesn't want to father a child in the future.

Vasectomy side effects
Normally, a vasectomy doesn't cause any side effects and complications are very rare. Immediate side effects can include:

  • Bleeding or a blood clot inside the scrotum
  • Blood in semen
  • Bruising of scrotum
  • Infection of the surgery site
  • Mild pain or discomfort
  • Swelling

Delayed complications can include:

  • Chronic pain
  • Fluid buildup in the testicle, causing dull ache that gets worse when ejaculating
  • Inflammation from leaking sperm
  • Abnormal cyst development in the small tube located on the upper testicle
  • A fluid-filled sac forms surrounding a testicle and causes swelling in the scrotum

A vasectomy will not:

  • Affect sexual performance
  • Permanently damage sexual organs
  • Increase risk of cancer
  • Increase risk of heart disease
  • Be painful

Vasectomy recovery time

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After a vasectomy, there can be some bruising, swelling, and pain. It will get better within a few days. According to MayoClinic.org, if your husband has signs of infection, such as blood oozing from the surgery site, a temperature higher than 100.4 F, redness, worsening pain or swelling, call the doctor immediately.

Things to keep in mind after the procedure:

  • The scrotum should be supported with a bandage and tight-fitting underwear for at least 48 hours after vasectomy. No commando.
  • Ice packs can be applied to the scrotum for the first two days to reduce pain and swelling.
  • Your husband will need to rest for 24 hours after surgery. He can do light activity as tolerated after two or three days, but no sports, lifting, or heavy work for a week. Doing too much, too fast can cause pain or bleeding inside the scrotum.
  • Ejaculating can be painful or cause blood in the semen.
  • After his vasectomy, your husband will still ejaculate semen but it will no longer contain sperm (once he has ejaculated about 20 times).

“If you are feeling up to it, you may be able to return to work in one or two days, but should avoid heavy lifting for a week," Dr. Paul Turek wrote on UrologyHealth.org. "You can resume sexual activity as soon as you are comfortable, usually in about a week. But do not assume the vasectomy is effective from day one.”

Pregnancy after vasectomy

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Another form of birth control will be needed until the doctor can confirm that there are no more sperm in the seminal fluid. It usually takes a few months to clear the semen of all sperm. During this time, pregnancy is definitely a possibility.

Doctors usually do a follow-up semen analysis 12 weeks after the vasectomy surgery.

Can you reverse a vasectomy?
While its technically possible to reverse a vasectomy, sometimes it just doesn’t work. Vasectomy reversal surgery is more complicated than a vasectomy — and it can be very expensive. The moral of the story is to be sure that you’re done having babies before your husband gets snipped.