Who can be sterilised?
After careful consideration, any man can choose to be sterilised by having a vasectomy - though surgeons are generally unwilling to do the operation on very young men, especially those without children. In the UK in 2001, about 100,000 men will have a vasectomy.

It is a much simpler procedure than the sterilisation of women, and can be done on an outpatient basis. In many parts of the UK it is available free under the NHS, although in others you have to pay for it privately. There are clinics that will perform the operation for anything between £155 and £400.

Who should you contact?
Go either to your GP, or to a Family Planning Clinic, or to a clinic that advertises vasectomy.

The doctor will tell you how the sterilisation procedure works and inform you of the risks involved.

They will probably also want to discuss other types of contraception with you, and make sure that you are really happy with the idea of vasectomy - and that you understand that basically you are taking this decision for life.

Will you regret being sterilised?
It is important to realise that having a vasectomy means that you will never be able to have children again. You may be certain at the moment that you want to go ahead with the operation, but of course sometimes circumstances change. Men nowadays often change partners at some point in their lives - and a man who has had a vasectomy will not be able to father children in a new relationship.

You may have heard that it is possible to have a vasectomy reversed, but this procedure is frequently unsuccessful. As of 2001, there are very few surgeons who can claim a successful reversal rate of over 40 per cent.

In addition, it is not easily available on the NHS. So if you are contemplating having a vasectomy, you should be as sure as you possibly can be that you won't regret the decision. The doctor should talk all this over with you.

What happens during the operation?
If you are certain about your decision to have a vasectomy, the operation itself is simple and can be carried out in a clinic, hospital outpatient department, or sometimes even a GP's surgery. Some surgeons do it under local anaesthetic, others under a general anaesthetic. Usually, you'll be able to go home after a couple of hours or so.

During the operation the surgeon makes a little cut on each side of the scrotum so that he can reach the tubes that carry sperm (vas deferens). He will then remove a small piece of each tube, or cut them and close the ends.

Will you have any problems afterwards?
Most men are just a bit sore and bruised afterwards. But a few develop bleeding or marked swelling, or a temperature. If any of these things happen, contact a doctor.

You should wear an athletic support (a 'jock strap') for a week or so after the vasectomy to ease the discomfort. Getting into a warm bath is also very soothing.

When can you have sex again?
You can have sex as soon as you feel like it, but you'll need to use an additional contraceptive method for a while - see below.

Does sterilisation work immediately?
After the operation, you will still have some sperm left in the tubes that lead to the penis. This means that you should use another contraceptive method for the time being. About three months after your surgery, you'll need to have two semen tests - two to four weeks apart - to see if all the sperm have gone. Once you have had two clear tests - where no sperm can be seen in your ejaculate under a microscope - then you can rely on your vasectomy without using any back-up contraception.

Can vasectomy make you impotent?
Vasectomy does not cause impotence. But it is easy to see that a man who already has psychological problems about sex, could feel that his potency is threatened by the operation. Therefore, everyone who wants to have a vasectomy should have careful preliminary counselling.

Is vasectomy 100 per cent effective against pregnancy?
Please bear in mind that vasectomy - in common with all other methods of contraception - is not 100 per cent effective. Occasionally, pregnancies do occur. As of 2001, it is estimated that about one in 1000 vasectomies 'fails'. But the failure rate would be higher if you made the mistake of going to a doctor who doesn't do many vasectomies! So be sure you got to someone who does this operation all the time.

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