A question that I have been asked more than once, and so I decided to actually get up and do some solid research into this point. I have personally had the ‘snip’ so it was a relevant question for me too – something that to be honest I had never wondered about before.
What Will I Learn
Will Having A Vasectomy Reduce My Testosterone Levels?
A question that I have been asked more than once, and so I decided to actually get up and do some solid research into this point. I have personally had the ‘snip’ so it was a relevant question for me too – something that to be honest I had never wondered about before.
A vasectomy is a major decision for a man, once you and you partner have ruled out any more children, there is no more reliable form of male contraception, and its a darn sight easier on the man that sterilisation is on a woman.
It is a life altering procedure thats for sure, but what about after the event – does a vasectomy mean that your testosterone levels are going to be reduced? Will you be less of a man? Will your muscle mass, tone and strength disappear? What about Sex?
In this article I have looked into all aspects of a vasectomy, and try to set out all the valid points and answers that you might be looking for.
What Is A Vasectomy?
A vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure where the narrow tubes that join the testicles to the urethra are either cut, tied or clamped. The purpose of this is to stop any sperm that are being produced in the testicles mixing with the semen and ultimately being ejaculated.
This effectively refers the man infertile and is the optimum way of preventing unwanted pregnancies.
Although considered a permanent procedure, there are cases that can be reversed (although not always successfully). It can take a couple of months after the procedure before all sperm is removed from the semen.
A test is usually carried out a few weeks after the procedure to ensure that the sperm count is zero.
In the US alone it is estimated that 500,000 men with an average age of 31 have the procedure on an annual basis.
The Key Question Here Is – If your sperm is removed from the semen, can it affect your testosterone levels?
Vasectomy And Its Effects On Testosterone Production
There has been a lot of research into this question. Here are some of the more important ones:
An early study looked a small group of 41 men had their sex hormones (inc testosterone) measured 3 times over a 2 year period.
Each man had undergone a bilateral vasectomy. In each of the times that their testosterone levels were checked, there was NO change in levels over the entire test period.
There have been studies that have concluded that a Vasectomy could actually increase testosterone production – Here are a few details:
Study 1 – 66 Men aged 60 or younger were spilt into two groups – half were men who had had vasectomies, the other half had not.
They all had similar build and weight. They were tested periodically and the results actually surprised the researchers – the group with the vasectomies actually recorded higher testosterone levels than the men who were all intact.
Study 2 – In a similar study to the one above, 260 men were recruited by the journal Fertility and Health. The purpose was to assess the lives and changes in hormone production both pre and post vasectomy.
Just as in the first study, the post operative group demonstrated significantly elevated testosterone levels.
Study 3 – another key study looked at 56 men who had had vasectomies. Their pre and post op testosterone levels were checked before surgery and at 6 months and at 2 years after the procedure.
At 6 months after the surgery, the plasma testosterone levels were higher than pre op readings, also plasma estradiol levels ( a form of estrogen) were lower. At the 2 year test, levels were still elevated.
“Key Point – Research has clearly shown that Not only does having a vasectomy NOT reduce testosterone, its more likely to increase it”
Does A Vasectomy Have Any Side Effects?
Research has shown that having the operation does not impact your hormone production, in fact it can offer improvements. That said, any procedure can carry some side effects, although a vasectomy does not carry any real risks.
There is bruising and some possible soreness after the procedure and this can take a week to subside, after that everything should be pretty normal.
Some men worry about being able to perform after the procedure, again, there has been no truth in reports that men are unable to get an erection after the procedure.
To the naked eye the ejaculate looks the same and is usually delivered in the same volume.
Some men even report that their sexual desire has increased after the procedure – this could be due to the fact that the worry about conceiving has disappeared.
Another concern is that a vasectomy could put you at more risk of developing prostate cancer – research has proven this incorrect with no evidence whatsoever
Summary – Does A Vasectomy Reduce Testosterone?
The definitive answer to this question is NO.
Research has proven many times over that this simple procedure has no detrimental effect on testosterone production, in fact it can even increase it in many men.
