Vasectomy at 27 (Collin warning)

[PrincessC]

Vasectomy at 27
Some men are snipping out kids from their lives
Scientists seek new male birth control options Aug 26, 2008


Jeremy Youngman, a 32-year-old tattoo artist in Downers Grove, likes his birth control the way he likes his body art: permanent.

At 27, Youngman got a vasectomy. Unlike the vast majority of the 500,000 men in the U.S. who get sterilized every year, Youngman was single and had no children.

To Youngman, the thought of getting a woman pregnant was "the scariest thing in the world." He said he's long known he doesn't want to be a father, and he didn't want to take any chances.

"It's hard enough to take care of myself, let alone a kid," Youngman said, adding he still uses condoms to protect against STDs.

Half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unwanted or mistimed, according to the CDC. For some young men, relying on condoms or a woman's promise that she's on the Pill isn't enough to protect against unwanted progeny, so they're snipping away their pregnancy fears.

Though such cases are uncommon, the relative ease and affordability of vasectomies, plus the possibility of reversal, make them an attractive option for some men looking to keep birth control in their own hands. Barring abstinence, the only real male-controlled contraception options are condoms or vasectomies—and some young men who are convinced they don't want children would rather get fixed than risk a rip in the rubber.

Doctors confronted with such cases tread carefully. While any man older than 18 can legally get a vasectomy, doctors can turn men down if they don't believe them to be mature or sure enough of their future plans.

"I received a call from an 18-year-old high schooler, and that was a no-no," said Dr. Arif Agha, owner of the Vasectomy and Reversal Center of Chicago, which is in Oak Brook.

Dr. Kiu Mostowfi, owner of Vasectomy Clinics of Chicago, said that when a 24-year-old man approached him about a vasectomy, he told him he was too young and suggested he come back in a year after he'd thought about it. When the man returned a year later and was still committed, Mostowfi agreed to perform the vasectomy.

Another of Mostowfi's patients, Justin Holt, 27, said the doctor grilled him with "what-if" questions for 40 minutes before agreeing to perform his vasectomy last month. Holt, who lives in Logan Square, said he's sure he never wants children.

"It's the only way to be responsible for myself and my behavior," said Holt, who works as a data specialist for a financial firm.

While Holt said he has no regrets, the finality of the decision has been surprisingly emotional.

"Every once in a while you get this weird thought of, 'I'm never going to be a father,' " Holt said. "It's equal parts terrifying because you're not like everyone else, and also because you made this extreme decision at 27."

Doctors must give "extensive counseling" on the benefits and risks of vasectomy to ensure men know what they're getting into, said Dr. Chris Gonzalez, a urologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The benefits: The no-scalpel procedure, introduced in the U.S. in the 1980s, typically takes about 15 minutes under local anesthesia, requires little recovery time, and the $1,000 cost is typically covered by insurance.

The risks: The possibility of chronic pain, which occurs in one of every 500 men. And while vasectomies can be reversed, men shouldn't count on it, doctors say. Vasectomy reversal is a complex procedure that takes three to four hours, and the $10,000 to $25,000 cost is typically not covered by insurance. Plus, men don't always get their fertility back, especially if more than 10 years pass between the vasectomy and the reversal.

"We want men to look at vasectomy as a permanent solution," Gonzalez said.

Don Anderson, a mechanical engineer who lives in Oak Park, said he thought carefully before deciding to get a vasectomy at 34, a year after he got married. He and his wife agreed they didn't want any children, and they were tired of combining condoms and the birth control pill to ensure they didn't get pregnant.

Vasectomy was cheaper and less risky than a tubal ligation, the surgical procedure to sterilize women. Instead of buying an engagement ring, they decided to use that money to buy a red Mazda Miata (for her) and a vasectomy (for him).

Anderson, who jokingly adopted the nickname "Johnny Vasectomyseed" because he advises others about his journey to becoming sterile, said that while his doctor didn't give him trouble, he's disappointed to hear of other young men who consistently get turned down for vasectomies simply because they don't already have children.

"Somebody who's in their 20s can easily decide to have children," Anderson, now 42, said. "It's ridiculous that they can't make the decision to not have children."

Men should realize being sterile could affect future relationships, said Dr. Laurence Levine, a urologist at Rush University Medical Center. Most vasectomy reversals are for men who get remarried and their new wives want to start a family.

Mark Witt of Park Ridge got a vasectomy because he and his wife didn't want children. But when they divorced a year later, he discovered that was a deal breaker for some women on the dating scene, said Witt, 48, who works in health-care administration.

"I've had some regret because I've lost some good women because of it," Witt said.

I think the benefits outweigh the risks...I wish more men would consider this. Especially if they don't want to have more kids.

 

[Rudey]

^^^^^

How ironic!

Now woman want to tell men what is more beneficial when it comes to making decision about their bodies.

 

[sean69]

 

[swiftandsilent]

If you are sure you don't want kids in your life, this is the smart move to make.

 

[sean69]

When the vasectomy is complete, sperm can no longer exit the body through the penis. The testicles continue to produce sperm, but they are broken down and absorbed by the body. Much fluid content is absorbed by membranes in the epididymis, and much solid content is broken down by the responding macrophages and re-absorbed via the blood stream. Sperm is matured in the epididymis for about a month once it leaves the testicles. Approximately 50% of the sperm produced never make it to the orgasmic stage in a non-vasectomized man. After vasectomy, the membranes increase in size to absorb and store more fluid; this triggering of the immune system causes more macrophages to be recruited to break down and re-absorb more of the solid content. Within one year after a vasectomy, sixty to seventy percent of vasectomized men develop antisperm antibodies. In some cases, vasitis nodosa, a benign proliferation of the ductular epithelium, can also result.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference">[7]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference">[8]</sup> The buildup of sperm increases pressure in the vas deferens and epididymis. To prevent damage to the testes, these structures eventually rupture in more than half the cases. The entry of the sperm into the scrotum causes sperm granulomas to be formed by the body to contain and absorb the sperm which the body treats as a foreign substance.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference">[9]


Vastisis nodosa.

Other possible exciting side effects include Post-Vasectomy pain Syndrome and Primary Progressive Aphasia ...
</sup>
Dunno the details of those big words, but it can't be a good look for ya nuts.

 

[Chicutie]

If you are sure you don't want kids in your life, this is the smart move to make.

Key word being sure. I think a lot of people change their mind about kids.

I'm kinda young, but a couple years ago I would have said I would never have kids, but now. . I really can't see my future without children

 

[destrehan]

nigga i was 24 when i got mine i'm 27 now. got 2 sons, my bloodline is in tact

 

[p5ych3]

nigga i was 24 when i got mine i'm 27 now. got 2 sons, my bloodline is in tact

werd my co-worker did it at that age too. he got married at 20 and has 2 kids.

 

[p5ych3]

i wonder. i have 1 child a 13yr old and have never knocked up another chick due using condoms or the them using BC and 2 whose tubes were tied. i might look into this
to finalize my decision to not have any more kids.

 

[actinanass]

only pc would find some shit like that....

I hope you got your TEAM together!!

 

[doggish_098]

I think the benefits outweigh the risks...I wish more men would consider this. Especially if they don't want to have more kids.

did you get this article from GQ? There was one similar in there and a disturbing pic of some giant stainless steel scissors.

 

[troutwine]

Mark Witt of Park Ridge got a vasectomy because he and his wife didn't want children. But when they divorced a year later, he discovered that was a deal breaker for some women on the dating scene, said Witt, 48, who works in health-care administration.

"I've had some regret because I've lost some good women because of it," Witt said.

Am i the only one who's sitting here

Why does he even tell them about it?

 

[sirwoodz]

dummy...he will eventually meet a woman and want kids and won't be able to.

 

[syreshag]

Had this procedure in december last year doctors act like they do not want to do it on anyone less than 35, I'm 31 and my daughter is 17 I could not imagine starting over best decision you can make if you are sure

 

[cthomas0964]

Had it a few months ago. Very happy.. I was back in commission 8 hours later though I had to take it slow and easy. After a week or so I was back to full speed. Its a personal decision. I wouldn't haven even thought about that when I was in my 20's.

 

[Autobot8655]

Wouldnt do this at my age (30), but was so angry a little over a year ago I was determined to get one done.

Whats needed is sound birth control for men.

But that would empower men too much....and you cant have men in a modern westernized society empowered can you?

 

[followup]

Good. I'd rather he do that instead of becoming a dead beat. There are men out there who have been fathering kids since their teens and don't take care of them.

 

[sean69]

Dogs get neutered when u don't want them humping your ottoman.

 

[DarkCity]

I am way too scared of the side affects

 

[Mo-Better]

Vasectomy should be a man's last option at the age of 27. We really need more options to birth control.