A Vasectomy is an effective, cheap, and safe procedure in which the vas deferens tube that carries sperm from the testes gets cut and tied off or cauterized. This procedure keeps sperm from mixing with semen during ejaculation. Since there is no sperm in the semen after a vasectomy, there is no way to fertilize an egg, resulting in no pregnancy. There are exceptions to everything, but vasectomies are so effective that only 0.0015% of people that get a vasectomy are able to get a woman pregnant after (1).
A vasectomy is usually done in 30 minutes or less. The procedure is usually done under local anesthetic, which means you’re awake during the procedure, but can’t feel it, as the area is numb. Some men report feeling a mild to moderate ache in their testicles for a few seconds during the procedure. For a few days after the vasectomy the testicles may ache or feel like they have been kicked. Men should rest for 24 hours afterwards and avoid heavy physical work and sexual activity for a few days.
Testicles are a crucial part of testosterone production in men. Since a vasectomy simply interrupts the connection between adding sperm to the semen, it doesn’t actually interfere with any of the processes the testicles are involved in. After a vasectomy, testicles still continue to play their role in testosterone production, the same as before the procedure.
The common recommendation is around 20 ejaculations after the vasectomy until you’re no longer showing sperm in your semen. 3 months after the procedure you should get a semen analysis done to make sure that there isn’t sperm in your semen. While it’s rare, it is possible that the vas deferens healed back together on their own. You want to be sure your semen isn’t carrying viable sperm before you use this as your primary form of birth control.
Since the goal of a vasectomy is to use it as a form of male birth control, you need to be 100% sure that your semen isn’t going to carry sperm to fertilize an egg. This is done through semen analysis. 2-3 months after your vasectomy procedure you need to provide a semen sample at a lab, where they will analyze it to be sure that your semen would not be able to impregnate someone. This is done by checking sperm count. Assuming this test goes well, you’re safe to use your vasectomy as your primary form of birth control.
A vasectomy does not protect you or your partner against sexually transmitted diseases, so in cases where needed, it’s still best to use a condom for STD prevention.
Since sperm is such a small amount of the actual volume of ejaculatory fluid, a vasectomy shouldn’t do much to change ejaculate volume. Most of ejaculate is made up of fluid from the seminal vesicles and prostate. If semen volume is still an issue after your vasectomy there are a few things you can do to help increase your semen volume:
Since a vasectomy is done on the tube that connects sperm production to semen, it shouldn’t have any effect on how long you last during sex.
A vasectomy is quick to recover from compared to many procedures. This means that you can return to physical activities, including sex, after just a few days. The real measure is when you feel better. The main thing to remember with returning to sex is that you do still need to wait for around 20 ejaculations before you can safely assume that there isn’t sperm in your semen, which would get someone pregnant. Until you get a semen analysis done in a lab about 2 months after you vasectomy, you should use another form of birth control to be safe.
A vasectomy is not intended to be reversed or undone. That being said, there are a few different way a vasectomy procedure can be performed, and some of them can technically be reversed. When the vasectomy is performed, the Vas Deferens is cut and cauterized. If there's enough tube to reach, it could potentially be reattached.
Sometimes a vasectomy is performed by cutting an entire section out of the Vas Deferens and removing it, then cauterizing the two ends. In this case, it would be extremely difficult, or impossible to reattach the tube.
Going into a vasectomy, you should consider it a permanent procedure. Even though it can be reversed in some scenarios, don't count on it!
Women can get a similar procedure done called a "tubal ligation." This procedure is often referred to as "getting your tubes tied."
The procedure is safe and extremely effective. Tubal ligation prevents an egg from traveling from the ovaries through the fallopian tubes and blocks sperm from traveling up the fallopian tubes to the egg. The procedure doesn't affect your menstrual cycle.
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