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Summary
Vasectomy is a type of surgery that prevents a man from being able to get a woman pregnant. It is a permanent form of birth control.
A vasectomy works by cutting the tubes that carry the sperm out of the testicles. The surgery usually takes no more than 30 minutes. Most men go home the same day. In most cases, recovery takes less than a week. Having a vasectomy does not affect your sex life.
It takes about three months before it is effective. Your doctor will test your semen to make sure that there are no sperm in it.
Vasectomies can sometimes be reversed, but not always. Having a vasectomy does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. Men who have had a vasectomy should still practice safe sex to avoid STDs.
NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Diagnosis and Tests
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Semen Analysis
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
Related Issues
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What Are the Risks of Vasectomy?
(Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Also in Spanish
Specifics
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How Is a Vasectomy Done?
(Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Also in Spanish
Images
- Vasectomy - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- Key Statistics from the National Survey of Family Growth: Vasectomy (National Center for Health Statistics)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Reproductive Sterilization
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Vasectomy
(National Institutes of Health)