Sex and masturbation are completely normal parts of your life! After you have a vasectomy, you may be eager to get back on the saddle, so let’s talk about the in’s and out’s of masturbation after a vasectomy.
Is Masturbation Safe After a Vasectomy?
The short answer is yes! You actually need to reach at least 20 ejaculations during the 3 month waiting period before your semen analysis and masturbation is one of the ways you can achieve that milestone. Masturbation is safe and encouraged after a vasectomy BUT you need to allow yourself some time to heal first. Just so you know, having a vasectomy should not change your sexual desire, sensation, pleasure, or ejaculation.
When Can You Resume Masturbation Post-Vasectomy?
You can resume masturbation about 10 days post-vasectomy as long as you are pain-free! You should start by taking things slow and gentle at first to make sure that you are not having any significant discomfort or pain while masturbating. As long as things go well, you can return to your normal level of activity. You should know that it is normal to see some pink, red, or brown semen the first few ejaculations post-vasectomy. It is also normal to have some mild pain with the first few ejaculations. These should all improve as time goes on and you get further out from your vasectomy.
Does Masturbation Affect Recovery?
Masturbation should not affect your recovery IF you wait the appropriate amount of time. Your penile skin is continuous with your scrotal skin so any vigorous movement of the skin may affect the sutures in the scrotum after a vasectomy. Be sure to wait the appropriate time frame and listen to your body regarding pain/discomfort when resuming activity. As long as you do this, masturbation should not negatively impact your recovery.
Mentally, you may be a bit apprehensive to return to sexual activity after a vasectomy. You may be worried about having some pain or discomfort with sexual activity or ejaculation while you’re recovering from the procedure. Masturbation is a good way to gauge that without the pressure of having a partner present. So, in a way, masturbation can give you the confidence you need to resume sexual activity with a partner!
Tips for Comfort & Safety After Vasectomy
As with starting any activity after a procedure you should gradually ease back into your normal activity. After the appropriate waiting period for recovery (at least 10 days), start slow and gentle and increase back to your normal level of activity as tolerated.
Keep an eye on how you do after you masturbate for the first time. If you notice increased swelling or bruising after re-starting activity, that is a sign that your body may need more time to heal. If that is the case, wait a few days, maybe try to resume scrotal support, and once everything has returned to normal again, you can try again!
To help with your comfort, you should make sure that you are using adequate lubrication while masturbating. This reduces friction on the skin of your penis and therefore limits the movement of your scrotal skin. This is important to avoid breaking the stitches that are in place on the scrotum.
When to Contact Your Doctor
You should contact your doctor if you have any questions or concerns regarding sex or masturbation following the procedure. However, there are a few red flag things that your provider should know about!
- If you develop any fevers or signs of a skin infection at the site of your incisions (redness, hardness, and warmth to the skin, pus-like drainage from your incision)
- If you are having sharp/severe pain with masturbation or sexual activity
- If you are having sharp/severe pain with ejaculation
- If you have persistent blood in the semen after several weeks/ejaculations
- If you are having trouble getting or maintaining erections
Masturbation is safe and even encouraged after a vasectomy as ejaculating helps you clear out the remaining sperm in the vas deferens in preparation for your post-vasectomy semen analysis. Purely Vasectomies is here for you if you have any questions or concerns about the recovery process and as you start to return to your normal life post-vasectomy.