A vasectomy is a form of male sterilization. It involves an office-based procedure during which a small part of the vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm to the semen, is removed. A common misconception is that it is effective immediately, but it is not. Even though the piece of the vas deferens is removed leaving the other ends blocked off, there is still sperm present within the tubes upstream and it takes some time for them to clear out. Once some time has passed for healing and to have enough ejaculations to clear out the tubes, a test is done to check and make sure there are no sperm left. This is called a post-vasectomy semen analysis. Let’s dive in and figure out why this test matters!!
Why Post-Vasectomy Testing is Essential
The best way to prevent an unwanted pregnancy is to follow the standard guidelines after a vasectomy. This involves post-vasectomy testing, which is a semen analysis a few months after the procedure to confirm that there are no longer sperm present.
In short, post-vasectomy testing tells us if the procedure is successful or not. It is essential to know for sure if you are able to have the confidence in knowing you are not able to start another pregnancy. While the procedure is highly effective, there is no way to predict who may have fallen into the very small percentage of whom it was not successful for. Therefore, without the test, you may think you are safe to have sex without other forms of protection and end up with an unplanned pregnancy. It is imperative to have the confidence that a post-vasectomy semen analysis gives you.
When and How Post-Vasectomy Testing is Done
Most doctors will provide you with a kit or instructions on how to perform your post-vasectomy semen analysis. Some places will provide you with an at home kit that you mail in. Others will have you collect your sample at home and drop it off at a lab near you afterwards. At Purely Vasectomies, you will receive a take home kit with instructions on how to send in the sample. The lab will email you a secure link within 2 days of receiving your sample. This test is to be done at least 50 ejaculations after your vasectomy. The more ejaculations the better!
It is important to continue to use birth control until you have confirmation from the lab results that no sperm are seen.
What Happens if Sperm is Still Present
The first semen analysis is done 3 months and 20 ejaculations after the vasectomy to allow for time to clear out the tubes. This time frame and number of ejaculations was meant to serve as a guideline for when most men would have a negative semen analysis. Some guys just take a little bit longer to clear out the tubes.
So, if sperm is still present in the first test, it is usually just repeated 4-12 weeks later, depending on provider preference. Most of the time, the second test shows no sperm.
If sperm is still present at this point, more testing is done. The general test that is typically done after a vasectomy is what we call a qualitative test. They are only looking for the presence or absence of sperm. While that is the most common parameter to mark a successful vasectomy, it is also acceptable to have a low number of non-motile sperm, meaning sperm that do not swim.
So, a positive test after a vasectomy does not automatically mean that it was unsuccessful. It just means another test will need to be done to get a closer look. This is called a quantitative test, because they will be looking at the sperm count and the characteristics of the sperm.
If there is still a small number of sperm present, but they do not move, then the vasectomy can still be considered successful. If there are a large number of sperm or sperm that are motile, this may mean the vasectomy was not a success.
Benefits of Confirming the Procedure Success
The biggest benefit is peace of mind. You have just put yourself through a procedure to ensure that you can no longer have biological children. You should be able to live with the peace of mind knowing that the procedure was a success. The only way you can know this for sure is by getting a post-vasectomy semen analysis. You would also like to avoid an unwanted pregnancy down the road, so confirming that your procedure was successful early on, 3 months after the procedure, is the way to go!
Common Misconceptions about Vasectomy Testing
“A vasectomy is immediately effective.”
This is false. A vasectomy is not immediately effective. Testing should not be done until 3 months after the procedure. You should have at least 20 ejaculations during that time before you get tested. A different form of birth control should be used during that time period.
“The test shows sperm. The vasectomy did not work”
This is false. If the first semen analysis shows sperm, that does not always mean the procedure was a failure. Some guys take a little bit longer to clear the tubes. Other guys may still have a very low number of sperm that don’t move, which is still considered a successful vasectomy.
“You need to test more than once to make sure it was effective”
This is sometimes true, depending on the results of the first test. If the first test showed no presence of sperm, you can feel fairly confident in the future that you will no longer be able to have a pregnancy. Further testing after this down the road may not be necessary. If the first test shows some sperm, testing will be needed down the line, as explained above.
