Couples
often have a lot of questions concerning birth control, especially permanent
sterilization. For women, this may be a most intimate area of health
care to discuss. Every couple should consider the vasectomy procedure
carefully and together.
As a woman,
you may not know that tubal ligation procedures (female sterilization)
outnumber vasectomies in the United States by 2 to 1. This is surprising
because vasectomy is generally considered safer and simpler than tubal
ligation.
Once informed
about the pros and cons of each procedure, some husbands are making
the "loving choice" of vasectomy over the more invasive female
sterilization procedure.
The ultimate
forum for discussing your concerns and questions is with your partner
in a medical consultation with your doctor.
Don't
hesitate to ask your physician candid questions.
You may
have candid questions that require correct, current medical information
from your doctor. For example, women often wonder how a vasectomy will
affect a man's sexual performance or appearance following surgery.
Here
are a few answers that can answer your most common questions:
·
Vasectomy does not affect a man's sexual performance or ejaculation,
unless he is harbors fears or misconceptions of his own. Sperm is a
tiny portion of the seminal fluid that is released at ejaculation. A
vasectomy does not change the volume, color or consistency of the ejaculate.
The quality, intensity and duration of a man's orgasm and ejaculate
will not change after vasectomy.
·
After a vasectomy, it is usually best to wait a week or two following
surgery before returning to sexual activity. It may be many more weeks
before the man is considered sterile.
·
A vasectomy is a tiny surgical procedure-especially the No-Scalpel Vasectomy
method-that leaves no scars, lumps, bumps or any other noticeable difference
to the feel or appearance of the scrotum.
·
It's not true that tubal ligation is just as easy and safe as vasectomy.
In fact, a vasectomy is far easier, faster and poses much less risk
for complications than tubal ligation. Vasectomy does not require a
general anesthetic or long recovery time.
