After Vasectomy, Nearly One-Half Of Men Still Have Sperm Count

Vasectomies showing 96 percent rate of effectiveness

In previous years, men were encouraged to perform follow-up tests following a vasectomy to ensure the effectiveness of the procedure. However, a single test performed three months following a vasectomy showed a 96 percent effectiveness rate.

Research published in the journal BJUI examined 1,073 sperm samples and found 51 percent having no sperm at all, and 45 percent having less than 100,000 sperm that were immobile. No pregnancies were known in this group after following up for more than one year.

Vasectomies are fairly non-invasive and tend to be a very effective and simple birth control solution. Researchers explain the primary issue following a vasectomy is that some men still have low counts of sperm in their semen for upwards of a year or more following the procedure.

While two or three semen samples were recommended previously, this study explains that one sample following a vasectomy procedure may be enough to determine the effectiveness of the procedure.

The fact that nearly 50 percent of patients examined in this study still showed sperm counts after having the procedure causes some alarm for researchers. They said the percentages are higher than previous studies, but also suggest these sperm typically show very little consequence.

Following proper procedure guidelines, researchers explain only one follow-up visit providing one semen sample, three months following the vasectomy, may be necessary.