Is Vasectomy Better for Women?

A study in the journal of sexual medicine says it may very well be, at least in terms of a couple’s sexual satisfaction.

Vasectomy is a commonly performed minor surgical procedure to effect a permanent means of birth control for men. In fact, on the order of one half million vasectomies are performed every year in the US. Even though vasectomy is part of the mainstream, there are still myths and rumors surrounding aspects and consequences of the procedure. Some patients are specifically concerned about potential urologic consequences, especially sexual side effects. Some men fear that their erections will change or that their testosterone production will be affected. Their partners often share their concerns.

A study by Al-Ali et al from the May, 2014 Journal of Sexual Medicine evaluated seventy six couples who were scored on their experience with a questionnaire before and after the procedure. The goal was to evaluate the effect of vasectomy on sexual life and satisfaction. Questionnaires included the IIEF (international index for erectile function) for men and the FSFI (Female sexual function index) for women.

Results showed that 93% of men and 96% of women would recommend and do the vasectomy again. The best improvement in sexual function was actually for the women in the group with the FSFI showing a significant improvement in the domains of Desire, Arousal, Orgasm, lubrication and Satisfaction. So, not only did the study confirm that there is no significant change to male sexual function, it showed that women may actually have a better experience. One can only speculate that improvement in the female domains may be explained, in part by a decrease in anxiety about unwanted pregnancy.

It remains to be seen if this study serves as yet another validation of the vasectomy procedure.