You have likely heard increased talk about vasectomies and their role in pregnancy prevention. You may have even heard about a new procedure and searched for “no-scalpel vasectomy near me.” However, you have probably also read a lot of myths or misconceptions about these procedures. These are some myths and the truth about these procedures.
Is a Vasectomy Permanent?
Many state that you should look at a vasectomy as a permanent procedure. However, you can have your vasectomy reversed. The longer you wait between your vasectomy and reversal can impact its reversal success. Therefore, this procedure does become permanent after some time. In addition, reversals are more expensive than the initial procedure.
Do I Need a Condom After a Vasectomy?
When you discuss your vasectomy procedure in Mesa Arizona, your physician will tell you that this procedure only protects against pregnancy. It does not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases. Therefore, if you do not have a long-term, monogamous partner, you should still wear a condom.
In addition, for a few months after your vasectomy, you can still get your partner pregnant. This is because some of your sperm remains in the vas deferens duct. Therefore, your urologist will typically give you guidelines for how long you need to use additional contraception. In addition, this physician can have your sperm tested a few months later to ensure you are sterile.
Will a Vasectomy Increase My Risk of Long-Term Health Issues?
Many think that a vasectomy can impact everything from your cancer and heart disease risk to having sperm build up in your body. First, your unused sperm gets reabsorbed back into your body and does not contribute to any long-term health issues. Also, no study has shown that vasectomies contribute to or increase your risk of heart disease or cancer, even prostate or testicular cancer.
Can a Vasectomy Affect Sexual Performance?
Some believe that vasectomies impact their testosterone and sex drive and performance. This is not true. First, this procedure does not have any impact on your hormones. Therefore, it will not impact your testosterone. Nor will it impact your ability to get an erection. You should also have the same sexual experience and performance. In fact, due to the reduced stress about pregnancy risk, you will likely enjoy sex more than you did prior to your vasectomy. You can focus on the act rather than the consequences.
Will a Vasectomy Cause Severe or Prolonged Pain?
During a vasectomy, you will receive a local anesthetic. This prevents you from feeling pain during the procedure despite being awake. You may feel a little pinch when you receive the local, but throughout the surgery, you will only feel a little tugging and pressure but no pain.
Your scrotum will remain numb for several hours after the approximately 30-minute procedure. After the anesthetic wears off, you may feel some discomfort or minor pain in addition to experiencing some swelling. You can reduce the swelling through cold therapy with a bag of frozen peas or ice packs.
For the pain, an over-the-counter pain medication should be enough. In addition, you should wear supportive underwear for a few weeks to make your scrotum more comfortable.
Before you pursue a vasectomy in Chandler, ask your physician about any other myths or concerns you have.
