Most couples at some point in their lives are faced with the issue of contraception. Once you have the number of children you’d planned on having, you sit back and think of how to take the worry of an unplanned pregnancy out of tomorrow’s picture. True, there are contraceptive measures that you can take that do not involve any procedure done on your bodies. Like the pill or the condom or diaphragm. But we all know the failure rate associated with these, not to mention the fact that you need to remember to take them or put them on. It tends to take away from the spontaneity of sex. So that brings the choice down to: you or her?
Since sterilization of the man and woman is fairly permanent, both should sit down and discuss the issue as it is a lifelong one and not to be taken lightly. It would be ideal to get your family doctor in on the discussions too. The main topic would be whether or not you want any more children. Once that issue is settled, then the “you or me” one can be gone in to.
What the woman will have to undergo is called tubal ligation. Here, the fallopian tubes which carry the female eggs from the ovaries to the uterus are tied off so the eggs cannot pass through them anymore. This involves general anesthesia though it is minor surgery, and maybe a few risks later. But it is permanent and almost irreversible.
Male sterilization is the male equivalent of the female one. Here, too, the male sperm is blocked off from reaching the semen. It involves only a local anesthetic and there are just two holes punctured in the scrotum. Through this, the tubes are lifted out and cauterized. It could also be done surgically where two small cuts are made and the section in between taken out, after which it is stitched up. This wound takes a few days to heal and you could experience a bit of soreness and discomfort for a few days. There can be no intercourse till the stitches are removed. Even after this, for at least two months, another method of contraception like the condom will have to be used because there might be some sperm still in the system. Sometimes, it can take longer before the sperm is flushed out. You will probably have to get a test done and only after it has been declared safe can you stop using any other method of contraception.
Most men do not consider vasectomy before they reach their middle age. It is necessary for a man to know all the pros and cons before he makes this decision. There have been cases where the procedure has been reversed but this is rare and expensive. It would be much better to spend time debating and considering before this step is taken.
The great news is that sex after a vasectomy is much more fun because it is carefree and without the worry of pregnancy. It takes such a little time to get it done – less than half an hour and the discomfort after that is minimal so if you are sure about not wanting any more children, vasectomy would be the right decision to take.