Getting a vasectomy not a decision to be taken lightly

Procedure does not protect anyone from sexually transmitted infections

Getting a vasectomy is usually a controversial decision that every couple has to weigh up carefully.

In South Africa, some cultural groups are against getting a vasectomy, as they believe a man’s wealth is indicated by the number of children available to carry his bloodline. This is probably one of the reasons why 2013 statistics show that when it comes to contraception methods, 10.1% of women opt for sterilisation and only 0.5% of men consider getting a vasectomy done.

But what are the pros and cons of getting a vasectomy and what happens if one changes one’s mind after the snip?

KwaZulu-Natal-based urologist Dr Natalie Naransamy defines a vasectomy as “an effective male contraception procedure that is minimally invasive with minimal pain, that involves severing or blocking off the tubes that transport sperm to the penis”.

“A vasectomy is a very effective method of preventing unwanted pregnancies. One should be absolutely sure if they done, want becauseto have althougha vasectomy there has been a breakthrough in the South African medical field where a vasectomy reversal can be done, the cost to get a vasectomy is usually significantly less than to have it reversed, and the same can be said for the complications.”

Naransamy says that these are some of the reasons why a man may want to consider getting a vasectomy:

You feel that you have enough kids;

You may have hereditary birth defects you do not want to pass down to your kids on the advice of your doctor, and have exhausted all alternatives; and

Your partner’s health may be compromised if she falls pregnant a gain.

On the flip side, Naransamy says that these are very bad reasons to want to have a vasectomy done:

You still have aspirations to have more kids in the future;

You are being pressured into it;

You are doing it to spite your partner; and

You want to have unprotected sex with multiple partners without using protection.

She cautions that a vasectomy does not protect anyone from sexually transmitted infections. When it comes to the appropriate age to have a vasectomy, Naransamy says that it can be done at any age, but she strongly recommends against getting a vasectomy between the ages of 18 and 30.

“Vasectomies on young people have been reported, but I would advise anyone of a young age to perhaps consult a family planning specialist to properly advise them on alternative methods of birth control before settling on the potentially permanent vasectomy decision.

“Of course, one can always opt to have a vasectomy reversal in the future, and although it has been proven to be a highly effective procedure, sperm may take several months and even up to a year to be present in the testicles again, so a hurried conception may not be possible.

“Also, the success of the vasectomy reversal largely depends on the duration of time that has passed since the vasectomy was initially done. If it has been too long, the reversal may not work.”

‘ ‘ If it has been too long since a vasectomy, the reversal may not work

Surgeons perform a vasectomy on a man. Though the procedure is simple, undoing it is a lot more complicated and expensive, an expert warns.