- Not effective until after 12 weeks or
20 ejaculations
- Can be timed to coincide with the
postpartum period when fertility is
reduced or abstinence may be
practiced
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Clients should be thoroughly counseled
in advance
and give informed consent
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Male sterilization or vasectomy also should be considered as
a postpartum contraceptive option for couples who have reached
their desired family size.
Vasectomy is highly effective, causes few side effects, and
is safer and typically less expensive than female sterilization.
It is a relatively simple procedure that can be performed at
any time by properly trained clinicians. Following the procedure,
it usually takes 12 weeks or 20 ejaculations until sperm is
cleared from the man’s tubes for the sterilization to become
fully effective. Thus, the postpartum period – when a breastfeeding
woman’s fertility is reduced and abstinence may be practiced
– may be an ideal time for a man to undergo vasectomy.
However, if a woman’s fertility returns before the vasectomy
becomes effective, another form of contraception should be used
in the interim.
Providers must counsel men that vasectomy, like female sterilization,
is permanent, although – as with all methods – there
is a small risk of contraceptive failure. Careful counseling
and informed consent before the procedure is performed are essential
to help avoid regret.
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