How Soon Can I Have Sex After a Vasectomy?

You can safely have sex about a week after a vasectomy, but the effect on your sterility will not be complete until about three months after the procedure. You need to go through few follow-up medical tests after your vasectomy to confirm that you cannot get your partner pregnant. In the meantime, if you are going to be sexually active within the first few months after your vasectomy, you'll need to use another method of birth control to prevent pregnancy.

Most men feel soreness around the testicular area for a few days after a vasectomy. Sex can increase the pain and may cause a delay in healing, or even an infection. In fact, during the first few days, you may need to take it easy and lie down, avoiding strenuous activity such as running or lifting.

During the first week after a vasectomy, you should expect to have a small wound near each testicle, with mild swelling and soreness of the surrounding area. It should take a week for your genital region to heal and for the swelling to diminish. Placing ice packs on the groin area, with a towel to protect your skin, can help reduce the swelling. Wearing tight-fitting underwear or a jock strap can help as well.

If you notice redness, oozing of blood, pus or discharge, worsening pain, increasing swelling, or a fever, contact your doctor.

Sex drive and erections are not affected by a vasectomy, so you should not experience any changes in this regard. If you have concerns about either, mention it to your doctor. A cause other than your vasectomy is likely at play.

After you heal from your vasectomy, you will be able to have sex and ejaculate, but your procedure will not immediately provide pregnancy protection. The first 15 to 20 ejaculations you have after your vasectomy will still contain active sperm. It can take between eight and 16 weeks for you to become sterile.

Your doctor will conduct at least one post-vasectomy semen analysis to determine whether or not your semen contains sperm, but some doctors recommend that men get a sperm analysis once a month for three months to ensure that sperm are no longer present in their semen.

Semen Analysis

For your analysis, you will have to provide your doctor with a semen sample. You can do this by masturbating into a specimen container that your doctor's office provides. You should avoid ejaculation for 24 to 72 hours before your collection, as sperm may decrease if you ejaculate multiple times within a few days, causing an inaccurate test result.

The test results are often considered more reliable if the semen is collected at the doctor's office because it can be taken to the lab immediately. You will be provided with a private space to ejaculate your semen. You can masturbate into a specimen cup at home, but your semen must be kept at body temperature and delivered to the testing facility within 30 to 60 minutes.

This fluid will then be examined under a microscope to see if there are any active sperm.

Sex Before Sterility Is Confirmed

If you will have sexual intercourse before your sterility is confirmed after your vasectomy, you should use an alternative form of birth control if you do not want to get your partner pregnant. Remember, too, that it's possible for a woman to pregnant if semen gets near (not just in) the vaginal opening.

You can use condoms, or your partner can use oral contraceptives, intrauterine device (IUD), or a diaphragm. All of these require some planning ahead, of course.

While waiting to have sex after a vasectomy may be frustrating to you, it can be important for your healing as well as the ultimate goal of pregnancy prevention. Know, though, that a vasectomy does not provide any protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). If you are at risk of getting an STD or giving your partner one, you need to use a barrier method of protection.