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The myth - Most men will probably slightly squirm at the mention of a vasectomy. For a long time, it has been regarded as a way to make men infertile with a painful procedure. However, this is just a myth.

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What is it? -

During a vasectomy procedure, the male vasa deferentia are cut or tied. This means that sperm cannot enter the female urethra and so cannot fertilize the female egg.

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What is it? - In short, this prevents the female from being impregnated. The surgery is short, quick, and extremely low risk.

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Why get it? - There are a wealth of reasons why men should get a vasectomy. Firstly, it's the most effective form of birth control. The female partner has a less than 1% chance of getting pregnant if her male partner has a vasectomy.

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Reversible - Vasectomies are reversible. This is an important fact that many men do not know. If you want to completely avoid impregnating a female in your early life, you can have a vasectomy reversal when you are ready to have children.

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Reversible - The reversal can be expensive, and the procedure is only 90% successful (still great odds, but not perfect). However, men can also opt to freeze their sperm beforehand to make sure they have some in the unlikely event that the reversal doesn’t work.

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Sperm -

Men still produce sperm even when they have had a vasectomy. The unused cells are just reabsorbed into the body rather than being released.

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Semen -

Erections and ejaculations remain exactly the same. The man’s semen just won’t contain any little swimmer sperms.

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Testosterone - The procedure only deals with the genital region. This means that the hormones released in the body are not affected at all. Men will have no less or more testosterone if they have a vasectomy.

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Cancer risk - Some people believe that vasectomies can increase men’s risk of prostate cancer. However, there is very little evidence to support this claim.

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Anesthetic - You do not need to go through the hassle of going under full anesthetic. Men will often feel the pinch of the needle, then everything just feels like a normal examination of the private parts.

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No scalpels - If you are a little squeamish about surgery, it is possible to have a no-scalpel vasectomy. The doctors use a special tool to open the scrotum. The incision made is so small that they do not even use stitches to close it.

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Costs - It is likely that your insurance will cover the cost of a vasectomy. One thing is for sure, it is a lot cheaper than having kids. In the US on average a child costs US$16,000 a year. For comparison, the vasectomy is a one-time fee of around $1,000.

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Quick recovery -

After the procedure, it only takes three days until you can go back to work. After seven days, you are fully recovered and can resume all exercise and sexual activity.

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Sexy - Men who take the responsibility of contraception into their own hands are naturally more alluring. It is an attractive trait to not par off shared responsibility onto the other sex just because they have a womb.

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No side effects - After the initial recovery from the vasectomy, there are hardly any recorded side effects for men. There are absolutely no side effects for their sexual partners.

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Sex - With a vasectomy, men can enjoy a lot more sexual freedom. There is so much less worry involved because vasectomies are better protection than all other forms of contraception.

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Tubal ligation - The female equivalent of the vasectomy is tubal ligation. The procedure is riskier, more invasive, and more expensive.

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Relationship equality - There will be more equality in a relationship when the burden of potential pregnancy is shared by both partners. Especially when the contraceptives offered to women often cause physical and mental problems.

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Contraceptive reality - The truth is that contraception falls almost entirely into the hands of women. In a world where male-female equality is improving, it is about time we reevaluate who takes responsibility during sex.

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Female contraceptive pill - While a vasectomy has almost no side effects, many contraceptive pills for women cause dangerous hormone imbalances that can result in depression, infertility, fatigue, anxiety, headaches, and even increase the risk of cervical cancer.

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Hormonal contraceptives - Intrauterine devices that go in the womb, and implants that are injected into the arm, still pump hormones through the body. The effects for every woman are different, but weight gain and depression are among the most common.

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Other means -

Other non-hormonal contraceptives such as the coil can work well. However, they are known to make periods heavy and the cramps very painful.

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Condoms - A man can take responsibility for their sperm by using a condom. Even then, condoms are not as effective as a vasectomy. They can rip, for example.

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Slow sterilization - When a man first gets a vasectomy, bare in mind that it does not work right away. It takes up to two months until sperm production is negligible.

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Male contraceptive pill - In recent years there was also the possibility of taking the male contraceptive pill. It did not become popular because there was too little demand for it by the male populace.

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Population -

It may sound cold, but not having children is probably one of the best things you can do for the planet. Not only can you avoid unplanned pregnancies that affect your personal life, but by doing so you are also doing your bit for the planet by keeping an already overpopulated world more in check.

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Knowledge -

Even though it makes sense for a lot of men to get a vasectomy, the idea is quite daunting. If you are considering it or want to know more, the best thing to do is to talk to someone who has been through it.

Sources: (University of Utah Health) (Men's Journal) (MIMS)

See also: Myths and facts about birth control

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