Likelihood of pregnancy after vasectomy
Vasectomies are surgeries where the vas deferens is closed off so as to produce sperm that mixes with the semen. It is a pain free (most likely) and it has a permanent sense to it. There are no pills to take, no need to wear condoms to prevent pregnancy (although they do help in avoiding sexually transmitted diseases).
According to WebMD, “As many as one in 100 vasectomies may fail to prevent pregnancy within five years of the procedure, a new study shows. Researchers say that the study shows that like other birth control methods, vasectomies are not always 100% effective. The study showed that six pregnancies were reported among 540 women within six weeks to 1.5 years after their husbands had a vasectomy”
Furthermore, “In the study, researchers followed a group of women whose husbands underwent vasectomy in five different medical centers in the U.S. from 1985 to 1987. The women were participants in the U.S. Collaborative Review of Sterilization (CREST) study and were interviewed by phone one, two, three, and five years after the procedure. Researchers found that of the 540 women at risk for pregnancy, six pregnancies were reported after vasectomy and were considered caused by failure of the procedure. Three of the pregnancies occurred within three months of the vasectomy.”
So, what really happened? Did vasectomies just fail in general? Well, to an extent, it is important to remember that these findings are sobering us up to the idea of vasectomies being fool proof. They fail sometimes. Pregnancies still happen. “Although the women were not specifically asked, two of them reported that their husband did not follow the urologist’s instructions regarding abstinence or use of back-up contraception. A common recommendation is to have semen analysis performed three months after vasectomy or after 20 ejaculations and to avoid intercourse or use another birth control method until no sperm has been documented”
What are the numbers, the chances, or possibilities, you may be asking at this point? “Researchers estimated that around one in 100 vasectomies would fail within one to five years of surgery. They say those failure rates are similar to those reported in two prior studies on vasectomy failure.”
According to Science.howstuffworks.com, failed vasectomies happen because of failure to follow directions, mostly, “Possible reasons for failed vasectomy include: Not using a backup method of birth control for the first few months after the surgery. Using a backup method of birth control that fails. The vas deferens reconnects itself after surgery.”
Aside from the last one, which is essentially the body healing itself, the rest is really all about following instructions to use birth control methods until the semen is sperm-free.
In conclusion, are vasectomies a good idea? Sure, but they are not the end all, be all for a person in terms of being ways of preventing pregnancy, especially right after the surgery. It is all about being careful and using secondary birth control methods to help you prevent pregnancy. Good luck!