You hear it all the time. In friendship circles, at the water cooler, on the radio or in the newspaper – those vasectomy horror stories and the poor men who are marked deeply after their experience. But like many stories shared and re-hashed over the water cooler or over beers, facts can become glorified or mythological. So let’s dissect and sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes the big V.
One of the leading Australian vasectomy doctors, Dr. Sarah Demediuk, acknowledged the most common misconceptions surrounding a vasectomy. The most common myth Demediuk has come across is that “it will affect libido or sexual function.”
“The male hormone responsible for this is testosterone which is made in the testicles. A vasectomy is simply snipping the pipe that the sperm travel through to get to the outside of the body. It does not involve the testicles,” highlighted Demediuk.
“Hormone levels remain unchanged and sexual function is preserved. In fact, a lot of men report an increase in libido due to a sense of freedom from not worrying about unwanted pregnancy.
The Central European Journal of Urology consolidated this fact, noting that men, after getting the snip, experienced better erections and orgasms with generally higher sex drives. Out of the 294 couples the German research company interviewed, 12.4% reported having sex more often after the vasectomy.
But what of the pain, frozen peas, extended holidays on the couch, and supreme pain experienced by men in the horror stories we all hear about?
Demediuk confirmed this fear as the second most common myth, noting that “Many men are afraid it will be painful and have often heard ‘horror’ stories from their fathers or other men who would have had a traditional vasectomy under general anaesthetic.
“A traditional vasectomy can have higher complication rates and much longer recovery and men think this will happen to them.
“At Dr Snip we use the latest minimally invasive micro-keyhole techniques to ensure we minimise discomfort and complications. In fact, I perform a lot of vasectomies on men who go straight back to work the same day.”
“We actually do not recommend ice (or peas) post operatively as that would probably cause more discomfort than it prevents. Instead we say take it easy for a few days and engage in nothing heavy or strenuous for about a week.”
So you’ve trumped those nerves on pain, frozen peas, recovery and sex drive. But how does one ‘manscape’, as required pre-operation, you may ask?
Demediuk has got you covered (pardon the pun) there too, confirming that “the pre-vasectomy shave is very important to ensure there is an operating area free of hairs getting caught up in the procedure.
“Most men do a great job of shaving the area, however, partners are sometimes required to help.”
You heard it here first folks. There’s nothing to fear about the big V. if you’re ready to retire the swim team or get that peace of mind that you won’t inadvertently cause pregnancy, it’s definitely hip to get the snip.
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Demediuk works alongside her father, Dr. Nick Demediuk, at Dr Snip, which has clinics open across Australia. Having pioneered the routine use of no scalpel vasectomy in Australia, the father and daughter duo alongside their friendly, highly experienced team help men across the nation take the lead and get the snip. Plus, they award each patient with a stubby holder upon their exit from the clinic.
