For years, women have fronted the contraception burden. From birth control pills to IUDs to Implanon to Nuvarings, we’ve done it all to prevent unwanted pregnancies and still enjoy sex — despite the various side effects these methods have on our bodies, our mental health and our sex drives. Throughout our struggles, there’s another option of permanent birth control for heterosexuals and couples capable of conception: vasectomies.
When we think of vasectomies, young people don’t come to mind. According to Family Planning Australia, one in four Aussie men over the age of 40 have had the snip. But as young people reconsider the notion of children and whether having them is viable, vasectomies have become a consideration for men under 40. According to an investigation by Insight, there was a 20% rise in the number of childless men under 30 requesting the procedure between 2020 and 2021.
The reasons for not wanting to procreate are wide and varied, with many people citing the rising cost of living, the environment, mental health and the preference for a child-free life.
As a woman in her late 20s, fertility and reproductive health chat has become very common amongst my group of friends at the pub. While many of my pals look forward to having children, there’s an equal amount who don’t see themselves as mums and dads. Then some — like me — are still on the fence about whether the pros of having kiddos outweigh the cons.
But while my partner and I aren’t ready to commit to the snip just yet, I can’t help but feel a bit hard done by after fronting the contraceptive responsibility for over a decade, especially when it’s caused me a lot of pain and discomfort.
For those in long-term hetero relationships who don’t want kids, vasectomies seem like the golden ticket. Never having to worry about getting pregnant again? What a treat!!!
But for men in those relationships — especially young men — there’s still an element of stigma and misinformation around vasectomies. And, as a result, it’s rare to meet a man in his 20s who has gone through with the procedure.
That’s where my mate Ezra comes in.
Meet Ezra: A 24-year-old man who has had the snip
Ezra* (not his real name) is a 24-year-old carpenter living in Sydney. He first realised that he didn’t have to have kids in high school, when a teacher he admired mentioned that he didn’t have any children, and said matter-of-factly that no one has to have kids. The concept blew his mind.
“I was like, ‘that’s fucking sick’,” he said.
“I never wanted kids. I just never liked the idea. And I realised as I got older that I have a lot of mental health issues that I think my dad suffers from too. It’s not that he wasn’t a good father, but he fell short in some areas because of those things and I just don’t want to do that to my kids.”
Although Ezra was pretty certain in his resolve, the process as a man in his early 20s wasn’t easy. At 21 years old, he tried to go through the private system to get a vasectomy but was rejected due to his age.
“I tried to go private first because they had all the best reviews. I mean, if someone’s cutting into my knapsack, I want to have it done pretty well.”
After trying 10 different clinics and being rejected, Ezra turned to Family Planning Australia. To qualify, he had to pass a mental health check.
According to Ezra, due to demand, he had to wait eight months for the mental health check and a further six months to book the actual vasectomy procedure. It was pretty frustrating.
“It was a real ‘my body, my choice’ scenario because if I want to do anything with my fucking body, that’s up to me. It shouldn’t be up to some doctor who feels like I’m too young,” he explained. “Especially when the alternative is to have a kid and ruin your life.”
As Ezra began the vasectomy process, he was pretty forthcoming with his family and friends. As a result, he often encountered questions about what his long-term partner thought about it.
“I got those questions all the time,” he admitted.
“My partner is pretty chill with it but if I had a different partner, and they didn’t like it, they’re not the right partner for me. But in the future, if I was very financially stable, old enough and thought I had enough maturity and wisdom, I would maybe consider adoption. Also hypothetically I could still have a biological kid of my own because it’s reversible up to a point and IVF is still an option.”
Although Ezra was pretty confident that if he changed his mind, there were other options to explore, acting medical director of Family Planning Australia Dr Evonne Ong clarified that reversing vasectomies are not as easy as people think.
“Vasectomies are an option for people of all ages however given they are considered irreversible and therefore not considered first-line for people in their 20s,” she told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“While there is a surgical procedure to reverse a vasectomy, it is more invasive and the success rate is far from ideal. Because of this, we do not consider vasectomies to be reversible.”
What did Ezra’s family and friends have to say about his choice to get a vasectomy?
Ezra is an open book, and he says when he has conversations around vasectomies with friends his age, they’re not judgemental — they’re envious.
“It’s pretty much like ‘fuck, you lucky dude’,” he laughs. “Younger people are more understanding. I feel like a lot of young people don’t want kids either.”
Conversely, when the news got back to his parents, they were pretty upset — despite already having grandchildren from Ezra’s siblings.
“My mum cried and didn’t talk to me for a week. My dad was very upset. He still brings it up.”
What was the actual procedure like?
The vasectomy procedure involves cutting the vas deferens — the tubes that carry the sperm from the testes — from the testes. Once this is done, the ejaculate produced doesn’t contain sperm and the wayward swimmers are absorbed back into the body. For Ezra, the procedure was pretty quick, easy and painless. He decided to stay awake for the procedure and have a local anaesthetic to numb the sensation in the area.
“Due to the cost, I opted to have a local and stayed awake,” he explained.
“It was very chill and I had a polite older lady who was lovely and very professional. She made me feel very at ease.The actual operation was pretty cool, I could see some of it. I did see the vas deferens get pulled out of my nuts. It was this very thin, little, thinner than a spaghettini noodle thing. Then it just smelt like burnt flesh.”
After the procedure, Ezra was able to drive himself home with an ice pack on his nuts. Due to the nature of his work, he took a week off work and then had a further two weeks without heavy lifting. Thankfully, his boss was pretty understanding.
“He was a bit confused but once I told him it was on my ‘nads he made sure I had enough time and rest to heal properly.”
According to Dr Ong, the pain varies from person to person.
“There is a high variation in the pain reported by people undergoing a vasectomy so the experience of a vasectomy is hard to predict,” she said.
“That being said, vasectomies are frequently performed under a local anaesthetic in a clinic setting without issue — although some do opt for either light sedation or full general anaesthesia for the procedure due to personal preference. Typically, we expect a few seconds of stinging pain during the use of local anaesthetic after which the scrotal skin becomes numb temporarily — this allows the procedure to be completed with minimal discomfort.”
After healing, Ezra was told to use contraception until he was able to have his sperm count tested a month after the procedure. Luckily, the procedure was successful and he was good to go. However, it’s important to note, that vasectomies may prevent pregnancy but do nothing to prevent STIs so a condom is still necessary to prevent the spread of STIs.
How much did it cost?
Prices of vasectomies naturally vary from clinic to clinic. From Ezra’s experience with Family Planning Australia, he paid $500 upfront but received $275 back as a Medicare rebate.
Following the procedure, Ezra had to return to the clinic for an ultrasound due to some wayward swelling, costing him an additional $50.
Not too shabby for lifelong cummies, if you ask me!
Did it affect his sex drive?
When it comes to vasectomies, there are a lot of misconceptions. One is that after you get the snip, your sex drive diminishes. According to Ezra, that couldn’t be more wrong.
“There’s honestly been no difference in my sexual performance or drive at all,” he said, smirking.
“Obviously your sex drives fluctuate, that’s normal but it’s nothing related to this. And you know, I’m still blowing loads two to three times a day. I’ve got plenty of baby gravy in me. Nothing’s changed there, performance is strong.”
So, there you have it. If kiddos are definitely not on the card for you, vasectomies could be worth a google.
