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Permanent form of contraception in which the tube that takes the sperm from the testicles to the penis is tied, cut or sealed
No hormones
Invisible apart from temporary stitches
No protection against STIs
Permanent – very difficult to reverse
More than 99% effective
Requires more than one consultation with a healthcare professional. You will need to use other contraception until tests confirm the vasectomy was successful.
Doctors tend to advise against getting a vasectomy if you are under 30.
A Vasectomy is done by cutting and sealing or tying the tube that carries sperm from the testicles to the penis. This means that when a man ejaculates, the semen has no sperm in it and a woman’s egg can’t be fertilised.
Vasectomies are difficult to reverse so you need to be sure you don’t want children or any more children
Pros
Cons
A vasectomy is a quick and relatively painless surgical procedure. You can normally return home the same day.
There are two types of vasectomies, the doctor will discuss which option is best for you.
This is similar to a conventional vasectomy but there is less little bleeding and no stitches. It’s thought to be less painful and less likely to cause complications than a conventional vasectomy.
Vasectomies cannot easily be reversed and reversal operations are not always successful. Reversals are rarely funded on the NHS and they can be difficult (and expensive) to get privately. You need to make sure you definitely don’t want children in the future before considering this method.
You need to use contraception for 8-12 weeks following the procedure and complete up to two semen tests which check for sperm to make sure the operation was successful.
About 12 weeks after the vasectomy, you’ll need to have a semen test to confirm that your semen is sperm-free. You’ll need to use additional contraception until the test has confirmed that there is no sperm in your semen.
No, a vasectomy doesn’t affect your hormones or ability to get an erection. Your body still produces sperm but instead of sperm being released into your semen, sperm is absorbed into your body without harm.
Vasectomies are not easily reversed and are normally not available on the NHS so you need to make sure you don’t want children in the future before going ahead with the procedure. It is possible to use IVF in the future but again this isn’t always successful and isn’t always available on the NHS.
100% free & confidential