Vasectomy

A vasectomy is a minor surgery that prevents a man from fathering a pregnancy. It is a permanent form of birth control — highly effective and much simpler than female sterilisation (tubectomy).

How it works: the surgeon cuts and seals the vas deferens — the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the semen. Sperm can no longer reach the semen, so pregnancy cannot result. The amount of semen released during ejaculation is barely changed (sperm make up a small fraction of it).

In India, two common techniques are offered:

• No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) — a small puncture rather than a cut; less pain, faster recovery. NSV is the main method used under India's public family-planning services and is available free of charge at government hospitals and primary health centres.
• Conventional vasectomy — a small surgical incision.

The procedure takes less than 30 minutes and is done under local anaesthesia. You can usually go home the same day. Expect some discomfort, bruising, and swelling for a few days; most men are back to normal activity in a week.

Vasectomy is one of the most effective forms of birth control — but not immediately. It takes about 3 months (or around 20 ejaculations) to clear the remaining sperm. Until a semen test confirms no sperm is present, continue to use other contraception.

Vasectomy does not affect sex drive, erection, or orgasm. It also does not protect against sexually transmitted infections — condoms are still the only way to protect against STIs.

Vasectomy is often reversible surgically (vas reversal), but success is not guaranteed and depends on how long ago the vasectomy was done and other factors. If reversal fails, sperm can sometimes be retrieved surgically for IVF. Both options are expensive and not always successful, so vasectomy is best chosen when you are confident you do not want more biological children.