Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsEffectivenessTraditional vs. No-ScalpelWhy Do Some Fail?Pregnancy After VasectomySigns of ReconnectionVasectomy ReversalA Second VasectomySTI Protection
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Effectiveness
Traditional vs. No-Scalpel
Why Do Some Fail?
Pregnancy After Vasectomy
Signs of Reconnection
Vasectomy Reversal
A Second Vasectomy
STI Protection
A vasectomy is an effective, long-lasting form of male birth control in which the two vas deferens—the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the penis—are cut. People who have a vasectomy procedure still make semen and can ejaculate.But the semen that gets ejaculated from the penis during sex will not contain sperm. This is how vasectomies prevent unwanted pregnancy.
Evgeniia Siiankovskaia / Getty Images
Why Is a Vasectomy Considered Very Effective?
Avasectomyis a permanent form of birth control that you don’t have to remember to use. Vasectomies are considered highly effective because they prevent sperm from getting into the semen.
Vasectomies are nearly 100% effective at preventing pregnancy.However, a vasectomy is not immediately effective. It takes at least two to three months after the procedure for the semen to not contain sperm.This is because sperm may still be in the vas deferens for a while after a vasectomy.
Vasectomy vs. No-Scalpel Vasectomy: Which Is More Effective?
There are two maintypes of vasectomy: the conventional vasectomy and ano-scalpel vasectomy. The no-scalpel vasectomy is less invasive as it only makes one or two tiny holes in the scrotal skin to reach the vas deferens versus small cuts with a scalpel in a conventional vasectomy.
Although research has shown that a no-scalpel vasectomy reduces the chance of complications after surgery, such as infection, pain, and bleeding, there is no significant difference in effectiveness between a conventional vasectomy and a no-scalpel vasectomy.
Why Do Some Vasectomies Fail?
Some vasectomies can fail, even when the procedure went well. Although very rare, there is a risk that the separated vas deferens will grow back together.If the vas deferens are reconnected, some sperm could make it into and out of the penis during sex.
Getting a semen analysis to confirm that there is zero sperm in the semen after a vasectomy can help ensure the vasectomy was successful.
Can You Get Someone Pregnant After a Vasectomy?
There is no birth control method that is 100% effective besides abstinence (not having sex).Some people will still get pregnant after a vasectomy, but the chance is very low.
Research has shown that less than 1% of females get pregnant in the year after their male partner has a vasectomy.Other research has found that the risk of pregnancy from unprotected sex in the immediate postoperative period is only 0.1%.
The rate of pregnancy after a vasectomy is much lower than among partners who use oral contraceptive pills or condoms for birth control.
Signs Your Tubes Have Grown Back Together
If your partner becomes pregnant after a vasectomy, this could be a sign that your vas deferens reconnected.Otherwise, there is little evidence of symptoms that indicate your vas deferens grew back together after a vasectomy.
One case study found that a man whose vas deferens grew back together experienced pain in the scrotum and blood in the semen, suggesting that these symptoms could be a sign that the vasectomy failed.However, because this was only one case, the researchers noted that the presence of these symptoms alongside a failed vasectomy could merely be a coincidence.
Can You Have a Vasectomy Reversed Later On?
Vasectomies are meant to be permanent, but they can bereversed. However, reversed vasectomies aren’t always successful.
Success rates of reversed vasectomies vary, with some experts estimating that vasectomy reversals are effective 80% to 95% of the time.The sooner a reversal is done after a vasectomy, the greater the chances that sperm can get back into the semen.
However, just because sperm gets back into the semen does not mean it will lead to pregnancy. Experts note that in the first couple of years after a vasectomy reversal, the chances of pregnancy are approximately 40% to 50%.
In addition to time since the vasectomy, fertility status before the vasectomy and the partner’s fertility status also affect how successful a vasectomy reversal is.
Is a Vasectomy Less Effective If You Have Had a Reversal?
Vasectomies are designed to be a permanent form of birth control. However, a second vasectomy after a reversal may be possible with a no-scalpel vasectomy.
More research is needed to better understand the effectiveness of vasectomies after a reversal. Based on your health and plans to have children, it’s best to talk to a healthcare provider about the possibility of having multiple vasectomies (or reversals) and their effectiveness.
Does a Vasectomy Protect You From STIs?
A vasectomy doesn’t prevent or protect you from getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI).It only prevents sperm from getting into the semen that is ejaculated from the penis. Semen that doesn’t have any sperm can still carry STIs.Condoms must still be used to protect against STIs during penis-in-vagina sex.
Summary
Vasectomies are highly effective in preventing pregnancy, more so than condoms or oral contraceptive pills. Although a vasectomy is meant to be a permanent form of birth control, it can usually be reversed. However, reversed vasectomies aren’t always successful, nor do they necessarily lead to pregnancy. More research is needed to better understand the effectiveness of subsequent vasectomies after vasectomy reversal.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Vasectomy.Planned Parenthood.How effective is a vasectomy?NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.How effective is vasectomy?Zini A, Grantmyre J, Chan P.CUA guideline: vasectomy.Canadian Urological Association Journal. 2016;10(7-8):E274-E278. doi:10.5489/cuaj.4017AMA.What doctors wish patients knew about getting a vasectomy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Male sterilization.Kern T, Artenstein D, Shapiro C.Postvasectomy scrotal pain and hematospermia, a possible harbinger for vasectomy failure and recanalization: a case report.The Permanente Journal. 2019;24:19.068. doi:10.7812/TPP/19.068Yale Medicine.Vasectomy reversal (vasovasostomy).Stanford Medicine Health Care.Vasectomy reversal.UCI Health.Do vasectomy reversals work?UNC Men’s Health Program.A vasectomy is permanent, but restoration of fertility is possible.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Vasectomy.Planned Parenthood.How effective is a vasectomy?NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.How effective is vasectomy?Zini A, Grantmyre J, Chan P.CUA guideline: vasectomy.Canadian Urological Association Journal. 2016;10(7-8):E274-E278. doi:10.5489/cuaj.4017AMA.What doctors wish patients knew about getting a vasectomy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Male sterilization.Kern T, Artenstein D, Shapiro C.Postvasectomy scrotal pain and hematospermia, a possible harbinger for vasectomy failure and recanalization: a case report.The Permanente Journal. 2019;24:19.068. doi:10.7812/TPP/19.068Yale Medicine.Vasectomy reversal (vasovasostomy).Stanford Medicine Health Care.Vasectomy reversal.UCI Health.Do vasectomy reversals work?UNC Men’s Health Program.A vasectomy is permanent, but restoration of fertility is possible.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Vasectomy.Planned Parenthood.How effective is a vasectomy?NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.How effective is vasectomy?Zini A, Grantmyre J, Chan P.CUA guideline: vasectomy.Canadian Urological Association Journal. 2016;10(7-8):E274-E278. doi:10.5489/cuaj.4017AMA.What doctors wish patients knew about getting a vasectomy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Male sterilization.Kern T, Artenstein D, Shapiro C.Postvasectomy scrotal pain and hematospermia, a possible harbinger for vasectomy failure and recanalization: a case report.The Permanente Journal. 2019;24:19.068. doi:10.7812/TPP/19.068Yale Medicine.Vasectomy reversal (vasovasostomy).Stanford Medicine Health Care.Vasectomy reversal.UCI Health.Do vasectomy reversals work?UNC Men’s Health Program.A vasectomy is permanent, but restoration of fertility is possible.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Vasectomy.
Planned Parenthood.How effective is a vasectomy?
NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.How effective is vasectomy?
Zini A, Grantmyre J, Chan P.CUA guideline: vasectomy.Canadian Urological Association Journal. 2016;10(7-8):E274-E278. doi:10.5489/cuaj.4017
AMA.What doctors wish patients knew about getting a vasectomy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Male sterilization.
Kern T, Artenstein D, Shapiro C.Postvasectomy scrotal pain and hematospermia, a possible harbinger for vasectomy failure and recanalization: a case report.The Permanente Journal. 2019;24:19.068. doi:10.7812/TPP/19.068
Yale Medicine.Vasectomy reversal (vasovasostomy).
Stanford Medicine Health Care.Vasectomy reversal.
UCI Health.Do vasectomy reversals work?
UNC Men’s Health Program.A vasectomy is permanent, but restoration of fertility is possible.
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