Sizing Up Vasectomies as a Cost-Worthy Sweetest Day Gift

Greater Cincinnatians might not know this as they plunk down their credit cards to pay for Sweetest Day gifts this month (taking place October 18), but the holiday was founded in Ohio. Around 1922, candymaker Herbert Birch Kingston, a candymaker in Cleveland, dreamed up the day as a way to bring happiness to others. READ the story here. 

Here’s something else you might not know: A vasectomy can be an even more cost-effective and caring gift than candy or flowers. 

This is especially the case if you already are planning to get a vasectomy. Consider that a dozen red roses could run about $75, and a box of chocolate truffles may be $50. But these gifts typically last only about a week. A vasectomy, however, lasts forever and many health insurance policies will pay for the procedure. Page 4 of this packet explains the costs involved. 

A Vasectomy as a Sweetest Day Gift: A Timely Idea

Each year, more than 500,000 U.S. men undergo vasectomies. The busiest month for the procedure is March, when patients plan to recover while watching the college basketball tournaments. Vasectomy demand also surges in December, because many men use their Health Savings Accounts to pay for the treatment, and some of those have a use-it-or-lose-it policy at the end of the calendar year. 

By scheduling a vasectomy before the end of the year, you get ahead of demand.

A Vasectomy is a Sweetest Day Gift That Keeps Giving 

The financial perks and permanence of a vasectomy apply in other ways, as well. Among them:

• A vasectomy takes less time than a romantic lunch. A vasectomy is performed on an outpatient basis and typically takes just 30 minutes. You’ll be awake, but will receive a local anesthetic and can receive nitrous oxide (laughing gas). During the procedure, your physician will snip and seal off the two tubes that your sperm travels through from your testicles to your penis (the vas deferens). The physician closes the incisions with one or two stitches, unless you opt for the no-scalpel (puncture) method to access the tubes. 
• A vasectomy is once; the benefits are permanent. The procedure is nearly 100% effective at preventing pregnancy. This is because the sperm your reproductive system makes will have nowhere to travel and simply be absorbed into your body. That being said, some sperm will still be swimming in the vans deferens after the procedure and will need a few months to clear out – 15 to 20 ejaculations. So, it’s important to continue using contraception until your doctor gives you the all-clear. 
• A vasectomy erases “prep” time. Once your system is free of lingering sperm, you will no longer have to pause to think about birth control precautions, side effects, or risks of failure. Your doctor will confirm you are sterile by examining a semen sample two or three months after the vasectomy (you can ask about a semen analysis kit ahead of time). After this point, you can stop using birth control and enjoy spur-of-the moment intimacy without pills, spermicides, condoms, and other methods. 
• Risks and long-term side effects are rare. Because a vasectomy does not modify hormone levels, your sexual drive and performance will remain the same and you will achieve normal erections. And because your glands continue to make seminal fluid, you will continue to ejaculate and your semen will look the same. Serious procedural complications are uncommon, and less serious issues resolve themselves or can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications or antibiotics. Side effects typically are limited to a week or so of testicle swelling and achiness. 
• You should expect a low-maintenance recovery. A vasectomy could be easier to get over than even a mildly broken heart. Your recovery kit should include some over-the-counter pain relievers, rotating packs of ice to ease swelling, and a comfy couch to rest upon for a few days to a week. Expect to skip work for a few days depending on how strenuous your job is (ask your doctor). You should avoid sexual intercourse, heavy lifting, and exercise for a short period of time as your doctor advises.

Lastly, a vasectomy wipes away worry. With one procedure, you could relieve yourself and your partner of the stress of an unwanted pregnancy.

Thinking About a Vasectomy for Sweetest Day? What To Do

Keep in mind that a vasectomy is considered permanent birth control, so the decision should be given serious consideration. 

Should you choose to pursue the procedures as a Sweetest Day gift, schedule extra time to first undergo a doctor’s evaluation to ensure you qualify both physically and emotionally. You’ll also need one week before the procedure to clear your body of blood thinners, including aspirin, Motrin, Advil, and Aleve.

If you get a vasectomy by Sweetest Day or even the week after, you will have accomplished the holiday’s goal: showing you care. You can eat Sweetest Day candy while recovering, and look forward to the benefits. 

Want to know more? Visit our vasectomy website for details of what you can expect. You can access vasectomy insurance information on our website.