This month we honor World Vasectomy Day, October 18, 2013.

In the US, 5% of men have a vasectomy, while 15% of women have some form of permanent sterilization. Low-income, non-white men are least likely to undergo vasectomy. Compared to female sterilization, vasectomy is simpler, less expensive, and less likely to cause complications. Vasectomy has efficacy over 99%. Given its many advantages, why is vasectomy so under-used?

Many men fear that vasectomy will harm them. When counseling a couple who are finished with childbearing, clinicians can assure men that vasectomy reliably ends fertility without causing cancer or impairing sexual function. In fact, some couples experience an improvement in libido and sexual pleasure when they no longer need to worry about unintended pregnancy. Serious complications (such as pain, bleeding, and infection) are quite rare. The most common problem following vasectomy is regret. This is more likely to affect younger men who enter a new relationship.

Vasectomy is easy to incorporate into primary care. The no-scalpel technique, which requires no cutting or suturing, leads to a quicker recovery.  After any type of vasectomy, men must use a back-up contraceptive method for about 3 months, until a semen analysis shows no sperm.

There are only 5 countries worldwide where vasectomy is more widely used than female sterilization. Let’s help couples understand the advantages of vasectomy so that they can make a sensible choice regarding sterilization.

We appreciate your feedback! Please write to us at pearls@reproductiveaccess.org with any questions, comments or additional resources to add to our list.

Helpful Resources

Permanent Birth Control Fact Sheet 

Vasectomy Resources

Sources

Barone MA, Johnson CH, Luick MA, et al. “Characteristics of men recieving vasectomies in the United States, 1998-1999. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. Jan/Feb 2004, 36(1): 27-33.

Pile JA, Barone MA. Demographics of vasectomy–USA and international. Urologic Clinics of North America. Aug 2009; 36(3), 295-306.

Shih G, Dubé K, Dehlendorf C. “We never thought of a vasectomy”: a qualitative study of men and women’s counseling around sterilization. Contraception. Sep 2013; 88(3): 376-381. 

Zieman M, Hatcher RA. A Pocket Guide to Managing Contraception. 11th ed. Tiger, GA: Bridging the Gap Foundation; 2012.

Pharma-free

The Reproductive Health Access Project does not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies. We do not promote specific brands of medication or contraception. The information in the Contraceptive Pearls is unbiased, based on science alone.