After 6 kids, mom wants dad to get a vasectomy
DEAR DR MITCHELL,
My husband and I have six children and don’t want any more. We are interested in a vasectomy for him, as I do not want to do surgery to get my tubes tied, plus I believe that he should be making sacrifices too. What’s the process to get a vasectomy for him? Will it hurt, and where can he go to get it? He doesn’t have an issue getting one.
The decision to get a vasectomy done for your husband is a safe and smart move. Vasectomy is a much simpler surgical procedure than doing a tubal ligation. It requires less anaesthesia and allows him to go directly back to his regular working routine. It is, however, important for both of you to understand that this is a permanent procedure to cause sterilisation in the male. During the procedure the male vas deferens are cut and tied or sealed to prevent sperm from entering into the urethra and thus prevent fertilisation of a female through sexual intercourse. Semen will still exist, but there is no sperm in it. The testes still make sperm but they are reabsorbed by the body. It is the most effective method of birth control.
Sexual activity is to be avoided for three to seven days. A vasectomy does not prevent pregnancy right away; sperm can be in the semen produced before the vasectomy and that takes time to clear. A back up method of contraception should be used until the semen is clear of sperm. Usually, it takes at least three months or 20 ejaculates for the semen to be completely clear of sperm. A semen analysis should be done to confirm that there is no sperm in the ejaculate before discontinuation of your back-up contraceptive method.
There is usually some mild discomfort after the procedure and this can be treated with painkillers. Mild swelling at the site of the procedure on the skin of the scrotum usually resolves quite readily.
A vasectomy can be done as an outpatient procedure in the urologist’s office or in hospital as an out-patient. Consult your general doctor who will advise you further and refer you to a urologist in your area. The Fertility Unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies offers the service at a reasonable cost so you can call and make an appointment for him once he is sure that he does not want to have any more children.
Best regards.
Dr Sharmaine Mitchell is an obstetrician and gynaecologist. Send questions via e-mail to allwoman@jamaicaobserver.com; write to All Woman, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5 or fax to 876-968-2025. All responses are published. Dr Mitchell cannot provide personal responses.
DISCLAIMER:
The contents of this article are for inform ational purposes only, and must not be relied upon as an alternative to medical advice or treatment from your own doctor.
