Pro-active family planning has become the hallmark of the 21st century couple and takes many forms. Natural family planning involves avoiding the female fertile periods of the month, barrier protection involves condoms and diaphragms, and sterilization can include tubal ligation.
However, male sterilization, known as a vasectomy has proven to be popular method of birth control. The procedure itself is performed on thousands of men every year and is popular because it is a safe and highly effective method of birth control. Basically, the procedure blocks the transport of sperm out of the testes and denies the union between sperm and egg in the fertilization process.
For couples seeking a permanent birth control solution often consider the long-term benefits of a vasectomy. Some of the advantages include simple outpatient surgical procedure that can be performed in a couple of hours, a very short recovery period, inexpensive, and safe. Another primary advantage of a vasectomy is that it is a much less invasive procedure than a female tubal ligation and has been demonstrated to be more effective.
While male sterilization is generally a very effective way to permanently prevent pregnancy, it is by no means fool proof. There have been the rare reports of vasectomy failures. According to recent statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a probability of 11 failures per 1,000 procedures and more than 50% of the failures occurred in the first 90 days after the procedure.
Regret and failure are very real consequences with a male sterilization procedure, and it is imperative to know all the facts about permanent forms of birth control before making a decision. Furthermore, this type of life-changing decision should involve your spouse’s input. If children are not a part of your future, a vasectomy can be an effective but permanent part of your family planning.
