The life cycle of sperm is 63 days. 80% of men will be sterile after 15 ejaculations or 6 weeks after a vasectomy. By 10 weeks, 85% of men will have no sperm in the ejaculate. Therefore, a safe time period to say would be approximately 3 months (12 weeks) after vasectomy with about 20 ejaculations.
The doctor or the lab will count the number of sperm. You must wait for about 3 months after the vasectomy to give your doctor the sample. This is because you may still have sperm in your semen for several weeks. Your doctor may tell you how many times to ejaculate before sending in the semen sample.
You'll still have erections and ejaculate, but your semen won't contain sperm. You'll need to use contraception for at least 8 to 12 weeks after the operation, because sperm will still be in the tubes leading to the penis.
The sperm quality should return to normal 3 to 6 months following a reversal as it takes that long for the testicles to make new sperm. However, the count and the motility may be lower after reversal due to partial blockage or scarring.
But you still need to be careful
Your sperm count will decrease gradually after a vasectomy. “You should have your urologist test a sample of your semen after approximately 8 weeks or 20 ejaculations following the vasectomy to make sure it's free of sperm,” recommended Dr. Masson.
The life cycle of sperm is 63 days. 80% of men will be sterile after 15 ejaculations or 6 weeks after a vasectomy. By 10 weeks, 85% of men will have no sperm in the ejaculate. Therefore, a safe time period to say would be approximately 3 months (12 weeks) after vasectomy with about 20 ejaculations.
Ejaculating too soon after getting a vasectomy could open your incisions and increase your risk of infection and other complications. Wait until you don't have any scrotal pain or swelling around your incision site before engaging in sexual activity. This may mean waiting about one week after your vasectomy.
Many share stories of couples they know who got pregnant despite a vasectomy. One of the most significant pros of a vasectomy is that a vasectomy is a very effective and permanent form of birth control. Only one to two in 1,000 men have a vasectomy that fails.
In rare instances, a vasectomy can reverse itself and is known to occur in about 0.025 percent of cases, equivalent to 1 reversal in 4,000 vasectomies.
Testing is the Key to Preventing Pregnancy after Vasectomy
The usual recommendation is to perform two (2) tests within 2-4 months following the procedure, and then once a year thereafter. The results of both tests should be negative.
Vasectomies are almost 100% effective at preventing pregnancy — but not right away. It takes at least 2 months for your semen to become sperm-free. 8-16 weeks after your vasectomy, your doctor will do a simple test called a semen analysis to check for sperm in your semen.
It can take up to 3 months for a person to become completely sterile after a vasectomy. An individual is sterile when their sperm count falls to zero. It is still possible to ejaculate as before, but the semen will not contain sperm that can cause pregnancy.
To be able to have children after a vasectomy you can undergo a vasectomy reversal or try In vitro fertilization (IVF) and intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using aspirated sperm.
After your vasectomy, if you change your mind about having children, there are two procedures that can help you have a child with your partner. The two options are: a vasectomy reversal or sperm aspiration prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Even with a successful surgery and you following the proper post-vasectomy plan, your vas deferens can reconnect months or years later. In some cases, this has happened 10 years after a vasectomy! So how does it happen? Well, even after your vas deferens are severed, your epididymis still carries sperm.
Some studies suggest that moderate ejaculation (2–4 times per week) is associated with a lower prostate cancer risk. However, ejaculating more often doesn't mean your cancer risk drops even more.
Several weeks after the vasectomy procedure, your doctor will ask you for a semen sample that can be tested to see if there is any sperm in it. Depending on the results, you may be asked to repeat the test. When healthy sperm are no longer found in the semen, the vasectomy is considered successful.
Sperm would have a 5% probability of surviving more than 4.4 days and a 1% probability of surviving more than 6.8 days.
Does getting a vasectomy hurt? Probably not. Your doctor will help make your vasectomy as comfortable as possible. You'll get local anesthesia to numb your testicles, so you shouldn't feel much during the procedure.
What color is semen after a vasectomy? Your semen will look just like it did before your vasectomy. Usually, semen has the consistency of thin mucus and a clear, gray, or white, opalescent color. Since the sperm makes up a very small volume of the semen, you won't notice a change in the amount you ejaculate.
As men get older it is also usual for their semen to become slightly thinner with less volume being produced at ejaculation. It is therefore quite normal if there appear to be clumps of jelly-like globules in your semen and there is nothing to worry about here.
Can my partner tell if I have had a vasectomy? Sperm adds very little to the semen volume, so you shouldn't notice any change in your ejaculate after vasectomy. Your partner may sometimes be able to feel the vasectomy site. This is particularly true if you have developed a granuloma.
While there is no definite age at which male ejaculation ceases, it has been suggested that it may happen when a man reaches his late 40s or early 50s. It is important to note, however, that this is not a universal rule and some men may continue to ejaculate at a later age.