Vasectomies are a commonly misunderstood procedure. For those unfamiliar, the word itself can bring about concerns of pain, complicated feelings about masculinity, and confusion about post-procedure lifestyle. Our practice has discussed vasectomy myths many times (see here, here, and here), but we wanted to give our prospective patients or anyone interested a chance to test their vasectomy knowledge. Take our quiz, and check your answers in the key below.
1. When can you expect feelings of discomfort or soreness?
- A: During the procedure
- B: After the procedure for a couple of days
- C: After the procedure for a couple of weeks
- D: Months after the procedure
2. When are you safe to have sex without contraception?
- A: Immediately after the procedure
- B: Two weeks after the procedure
- C: Three months after the procedure
- D: Six months after the procedure
3. How much time is needed to recover?
- A: Two weeks
- B: A month
- C: 24 hours
- D: 2-3 days
4. How effective is a vasectomy?
- A: 85%
- B: 99+%
- C: 100%
- D: 95%
5. Do I need a high pain tolerance to have the procedure?
- A: No, most men recover within a few days without needing prescribed pain medication.
- B: Yes, it’s recommended that only those who have a high pain tolerance have the procedure.
6. Is a vasectomy comparable to a female tubal ligation (getting tubes tied)?
- A: Yes, they are very similar.
- B: No, they are not similar. A vasectomy is not considered to be invasive, whereas a tubal ligation is highly invasive.
- C: They are about the same in terms of recovery and invasiveness.
7. Who is a good candidate?
- A: Men who are 100% confident they have completed their family-building goals and/or do not have family-building goals.
- B: Men who might want a child in the future but aren’t totally sure.
- C: Men who have children now but could want another someday.
- D: Young men (under age 30) who do not have family-building goals currently.
Answer Key
- Answer: B. Most men describe the feeling as mild to moderate, and are able to treat with over-the-counter pain medication and ice packs.
- Answer: C. Three months post-procedure, your doctor will perform a semen analysis to confirm that the vasectomy was a success. Until this confirmation, you will need to continue using contraception in order to prevent a pregnancy.
- Answer: D. Most men will recover from the procedure within 2-3 days, though those whose careers involve manual labor may need a full week to ensure there are no complications.
- Answer: B. The No Needle No Scalpel vasectomy with Dr. Martin Bastuba at SDVC holds a success rate of over 99%.
- Answer: A. You do not need to have a high tolerance for pain. Ice packs and at-home pain medications are sufficient, along with adequate rest.
- Answer: B. The two procedures should not be compared with one another. They vary widely in terms of the degree of surgery required, post-procedure pain, and potential complications as well as overall cost.
- Answer: A. You should only get a vasectomy if you are sure that you do not want children or have finished growing your family. If you are a young man, your vasectomy surgeon may wish to talk more about family planning goals before scheduling the procedure.
