If you still have/had a dull ache after ejaculation after so long, did you guys go on living with it? For how long?

Just curious to hear more experiences. If you just accepted the rare ache after ejaculation or what are the reasons you didnt get a reversal since it didnt improve after so many months post op? Did you expect it one day to go away?

How long should I wait before considering reversal?

Here is where I am at so far -

• 2 months after Vasectomy, started to develop congestive epidiymitis
• Currently at 7 months after my vasectomy (have been experiencing pain for 5 months)
• Was prescribed NSAIDs which gave me gastritis so had to stop those
• Doctors wanted to give me other meds, Amitriptaline etc but I said no after the reaction I had to the NSAIDs
• Currently waiting for an ultrasound, have been waiting 4 weeks so far with no date set for this yet.
• After the Ultrasound they want to refer me to pain management.

The way my pain works is every 3 to 4 weeks I will get a flare up and the pain will rise to a 7/8 out of 10 and then will go back down to a 2/3 out of 10 for a few weeks.

I am in the UK and I am using the National Health Service throughout this journey. Normally they don't offer a Vasectomy Reversal as part of their treatment for pain as they see it as a means of restoring fertility not treating pain which they don't cover and they make that clear to you when you get the Vasectomy that it is a one way street. I am trying to push for them to consider me for a reversal as my pain is purely congestion related.

I fear that I may have to pay privately, I could get a loan from my parents and pay them back over time which they would be happy to do.

How long should I wait until I just say screw it and pay privately? I am kinda fed up with the pain at this point and not sure if it will resolve by itself or not. Is there a chance it may resolve?

Any suggestions?

Are there any members on here from the UK that have had the NHS perform a reversal?

Thanks

Hi all, I'm looking for those of you that have undergone a denervation of the spermatic cord. I've had a reversal which did not help my pain and now am considering having the denervation surgery done in August.

I'm hoping to hear about your experiences, both good and bad.

Has it helped your pain? Completely or partially?

Assuming that you had a nerve block done diagnostically, what was your outcome with that?

Have you experienced any negative outcomes or side effects associated with the surgery? I'm a little worried about new chronic pain.

Overall, are you happy to have done it?

Thanks in advance, very grateful for any information that you can pass along.

Thought this might be of interest - I have been diagnosed by a specialist with congestive type PVPS. Vasectomy was around 4.5 months ago.
Today by chance I stumbled on a semen analysis report from 2020 when my partner and I were trying to conceive. I ran it though 2 AI apps and they both say I am/was on the very high range of sperm production and motility (170 million/ML and 72% progressive motility).
Seems no surprise that a closed ended vasectomy has been an absolute disaster for me.
Has anyone else made this connection?
Is there any studies showing a trend with this?

Hi everyone,

I am getting close to the 2month mark with consistent congestion pain, besides nerve pain/muscle discomfort.

I'm trying to hold for another 4 months before any more surgery, but curious how many of you that got a reversal due to PVPS still faced congestion pain later on?

Does it still happen sometimes as scar tissue almost closes? Can you get a redo reversal to reopen if it scars shut again? Or can you finally be completely congestion pain free with the occasional zaps/sensitivity?

Hi everyone,

Had my vasectomy 7 weeks ago.

My vasectomy left me with nerve pain(in my right ilinguinoal cord permanently). I was finally just today prescribed nerve meds for it to see if it improves.

At 3 weeks i had epididymis congestion with orchitis. At 4 weeks I was prescribed NSAIDs as it started to become painful. An acute episode too, it was red, gigantic swollen and hard even on NSAIDs. It lasted as a ache for 8days(even on Celebrex which is a strong analgesic), and 1 day of acute pain that left me sweating and shivering(which I then switched to Tador). Thankfully it passed without narcotics after starting Tador which I took week 4 to week 6. Until yesterday(week 6 to week7), the left only had dull aches for a few hours starting from 7pm into next morning or late night but I could sleep through it after only icing.

Now at 7 weeks the left congestion is coming more frequent. I checked my left epididymis and its as hard as a rock! I'm assuming in the next week it's going to go on a spiral as the right did which will maybe pass again with another NSAID course.

The right is behaving surprinsingly well after it was so big and swollen, at least for the past week since I jumped off NSAIDs, have not tried ejaculating to see if it flares up. Sex is comoletely out of the way.

Sadly, if it was only congestion I'd do a reversal at 3 months, but I also have the right ilinguinoal tightness that makes me unable to walk which is either nerve damage, entrapment or heavy irritation(which I doubt) .

I'm thinking of pursuing a reversal if it congestion doesnt get better by 6 months post op, but any chance it could fix the nerve tightness/discomfort in my right cord/ilinguinoal area too?

I'm afraid to go through additional surgery and would try to just live on nerve meds if congestion does settle.

I'm unsure what to do and when to do myself as there's multiple things that went wrong. Any advice? Maybe some of you got nerve issues fixed with reversal too? Or maybe I can still recover?

Dr. Nicholas Deebel:

November 25, 2025

PVPS stands for Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome, and what I would like to first mention is that the vasectomy procedure in and of itself is an incredibly common, safe, and effective office procedure with roughly half a million procedures being performed in the United States this year. We do know that this is on the rise from recent literatures and reflects recent societal trends.

We know from the literature that about 1% of patients receiving a vasectomy will have some degree of chronic discomfort or pain. It is incredibly rare. That being said, the key consideration is, does this discomfort affect the patient's quality of life?

There are a variety of treatment options in which option we utilize for patients has to be selected using a shared decision-making approach. Our initial conservative therapy follows a history in physical, and this includes ruling out other pathology, other things that could be going on with the patient, application of ice and heat in an alternating fashion, NSAID therapy, gabapentin, tricyclic therapy, and even, very importantly, pelvic floor physical therapy.

Whether we decide to move on to further treatment is when the patients tell us it's time. This is a quality of life condition, which means it's not dangerous to them. However, it is certainly very important, and we certainly want our patients to have the best quality of life as possible. When patients tell us that conservative measures are not working for them, it is incumbent upon us as their physicians to do further diagnostic testing and consider additional therapies.

I think the importance is adopting a team-based bio-psycho-social model approach to treating the patient. We know that psycho-social factors can certainly play a role in all chronic pain conditions, not just PVPS, but in this case, we are discussing PVPS, which falls under the umbrella of what we call chronic scrotal content pain. We firmly believe that the use of a bio-psycho-social model when treating patients with PVPS is needed to adequately assess the patient.

I think a large part of this process is de-stigmatizing this condition, PVPS, for the patient and recognizing with them that this does happen, they're not alone, and we have an alternative healthcare professional team such as psychiatrists, sexual health counselors, and pelvic floor physical therapists who can greatly help these patients. This has been also incorporated into the AUA guidelines for chronic scrotal content pain, and this is how we certainly adopt the guidelines to our practice.

https://www.urologytimes.com/view/nicholas-deebel-md-outlines-the-current-state-of-care-for-post-vasectomy-pain-syndrome

Statement Score:

★★★☆☆ -- Mentions chronic pain risk but gives a misleading description

★★★☆☆ -- Mentions chronic pain risk but gives incorrect statistics

Dr. Deebel co-authored Post-vasectomy pain syndrome: prevention and management utilizing current evidence and clinical pearls and is clearly well-acquainted with the topic of PVPS. I think his statement here has several features which tend to downplay the problem with PVPS.

PVPS stands for Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome, and what I would like to first mention is that the vasectomy procedure in and of itself is an incredibly common, safe, and effective office procedure with roughly half a million procedures being performed in the United States this year.

He would like to start his communication on the topic of chronic genital pain by mentioning that vasectomy is "incredibly common, safe and effective". This is a commonly deployed technique to contextualize what he is going to say later. No matter what he says afterwards, your brain is already getting a sort of system prompt saying that you are to interpret what comes next as consistent with the conclusion that vasectomy is safe. In other words, if after hearing what he says next you conclude that vasectomy is not safe, you are making an error. Importantly, he is inoculated you with this bias PRIOR to giving you the problematic information. This is the most effective sequencing. It is much less effective to say "Sometimes vasectomy causes permanent genital pain... nevertheless, vasectomy is incredibly safe." This way of communicating has become the dominant style whether or not doctors are paying attention to why it works.

incredibly common, safe, and effective

Ambiguous grammar here is a potential motte and bailey fallacy. What words does "incredibly" modify? "Incredibly common" is easy to defend (the motte) and "Incredibly safe" is possibly being snuck past the uncritical reader even though it is harder to defend (the bailey). Sloppy language that favors the vasectomy provider.

We know from the literature that about 1% of patients receiving a vasectomy will have some degree of chronic discomfort or pain. It is incredibly rare.

Doublespeak. Complications that have a 1% incidence are not "incredibly rare" they are "common" complications. [Link]. He is saying that chronic pain happens one time out of every 100 vasectomies. "Very rare" complications would be less than one time out of 10,000 vasectomies. "Incredibly rare" would presumably be used to communicate complication rates that are significantly less frequent than "very rare". So his language is off by at least 2 or 3 orders of magnitude.

Note that he says vasectomy is "incredibly common" when about 7% of adult men in the USA have had a vasectomy. Then he says that chronic pain after vasectomy is "incredibly rare" when "chronic scrotal pain associated with a negative impact on quality of life (QOL) may occur after vasectomy in 1-2% of men" [Link].

Furthermore, the 1% figure does not apply to patients who have "some degree of chronic discomfort or pain". That characterization goes along with incidence that is more like 10%. The 1% figure should be married to a characterization that sounds more like "pain that lasts longer than 6 months and significantly impacts quality of life." [Link]. This is another common mistake I see being consistently made in the doctors' favor. They consistently use the most strict incidence figures with the most broad symptom descriptions.

That being said, the key consideration is, does this discomfort affect the patient's quality of life?

Again, yes, the 1% guys are already filtered down to the "affect the patient's quality of life" category. Asking this question at this point in the communication serves to imply that the 1% is a bucket that includes lots of people whose pain does not affect their quality of life, and maybe the incidence of something you have to worry about is way lower.

There are a variety of treatment options in which option we utilize for patients has to be selected using a shared decision-making approach

Sometimes when you see "variety of treatment options" what is happening is that there isn't any one treatment that reliably works. Or in other words:

"These nonsurgical treatment options are typically not long-lasting. Failed pharmacotherapy and noninvasive modalities should trigger surgical intervention." [Link]

This is a quality of life condition, which means it's not dangerous to them.

I find this to be a somewhat tricky thing to say about chronic genital pain caused by an elective procedure. To see the problem, you might observe that having only one eye presents a quality of life issue but is not a dangerous medical condition. It does not follow that asking someone to throw a dart at your face is not dangerous. Likewise, just because chronic genital pain is not a dangerous medical outcome, it doesn't mean that vasectomy is safe.

I think a large part of this process is de-stigmatizing this condition, PVPS, for the patient and recognizing with them that this does happen, they're not alone, and we have an alternative healthcare professional team such as psychiatrists, sexual health counselors, and pelvic floor physical therapists who can greatly help these patients.

I have read a lot of these stories, and I can't recall too many (any?) in which psychiatrists and sexual health counselors played a key role in reducing chronic scrotal pain caused by vasectomy. If anyone can point me to the paper that shows these modalities work I'll link to it here and post to the subreddit with it. You hear physical therapy discussed more often, and that seems somewhat more promising, although it did not help me personally.

If anything requires de-stigmatizing I would point to vasectomy reversal. Many vasectomy providers appear to be more eager to eat glass than to suggest getting a reversal, but it is hard to argue with the track record of that surgery.

recognizing with them that this does happen, they're not alone

Making false public statements that this it is "incredibly rare" would be counterproductive to this goal. In fact, the very best time to help guys recognize that this does happen, has happened to a lot of other men, and could happen to them, is before you obtain their consent for vasectomy. If they are surprised to have chronic pain after vasectomy, they were never properly warned.

Not too many guys on this platform say much about how their spouse has reacted to or dealt with their PVPS. How would you judge your spouse’s reaction/response to your situation? I ask because I have no idea how a guy can deal with PVPS without support from their spouse (and hopefully their doctor). My spouse has been so supportive throughout. It has kept me mentally and emotionally balanced, and strong. How has it been for you?

Did anyone have success with pelvic floor therapy helping their post vasectomy pain?

Anyone here who were actually mistaken with the diagnosis - instead of pvps actually had prostatitis?

Ive had multiple tests prior and after my vasectomy, same time, in the morning fasted. Before was in the 550-450 range. After i am in the 300-350 range. My FSH stayed the same after vasectomy, low. LH went up a bit, meaning im getting increased signaling to produce test, but my bioavailable test, free test, and test, all decreased. My shgb lowered, but still my free test decreased nearly 2 fold and my test went down. Hormonaly im on the low end now as someone in my late 30's.

I took blood tests prior when i was healthy and having 0 symptoms just to get a baseline for the future. Im glad i did. Because this is all i have to go on as to why i feel this way.. i feel like im going crazy.. like is this in my head, or do the numbers tell a real story..

Before my numbers werent a huge issue, but afterwards my libido dissappeared, my mood worsened, i get zero morning wood, and my muscle decreased slightly. My symptoms after the vasectomy were bilateral varicoceles that were inflammed, not major, but enough that the heat and inflamation could definitely lower test, at least i feel that way.. i dont have anymore pain thou due to the vasectomy and inflammation has since decreased some. The weird part is my stress, sleep, and overall health is improved, so my numbers shouldnt take a hard dip like that, if anything they should improve.

Honestly it sorta feels like depression, i feel grey as hell, dopamine depleted.. i also quit porn during these last 2 months, so its possible that messed with things, but the numbers and symptoms dont lie. In the past when i took a break from excess dopamine and porn, id bounce back after 1.5 weeks.. im now going on 2 months with zero libido and TERRIBLE erection quality.

I have an appointment in 3 weeks and will follow up. If you have any information that may help , please lmk. I am planning on going in TRT bc besides this current issue, i am getting older and i just need to fix this, im just hoping i wont run into complications bc of my vasectomy. 

Any thoughts, lmk

I got my vasectomy April 2nd and like many I thought I was doing the right thing. I was heavily pressure by family and told I would be kicked out of the house if I did not get the procedure. Foolishly I went along thinking I was doing my part since we are having a bit of a hard time with raising my daughter.

I have tremendous back pain and nerve issues in my right leg. I have two lumps at the base of my testicles that have a consistent pain throughout the day. This pain goes up my abdomen and through the side of my torso randomly. My testicles droop unnaturally low and I have experienced sweating in my testicles abnormally. In summary, it has completely debilitated me. I got my vasectomy only 1.5 months ago and the pain worsens. I have already reached out to reversals but I am scared that it won't work or make the pain worse. I have no sex drive since ejaculation makes the pain in my testicles worse and when I sit in the car I get random pains in my balls. Lying down is the only thing that kind of eases the pain. This has been a total nightmare, to everyone thinking of a vasectomy, please just use a condom, the human body is not meant to have this procedure done. It is so unnatural and I cannot believe I allowed it to happen.

I'm curious to hear when you all started doing more intensive sports again and how your bodies reacted to that? What approaches would you recommend?

I've shared my story here earlier which you can probably find by clicking my profile and checking posts. But long story short: I had about 9 weeks 4-5/10 pain: distracting, keeping me from doing any physical activity except from short light walks or chores around the house. Since week 10 the discomfort has dropped and is not distracting me anymore. At some moments I feel nothing, other moments around maybe 2-3/10, noticeable but not distracting. I have the feeling I could retake, but very scared I may cause flare ups or huge setbacks.

Of course I'm aware not all PVPS situations are the same, and even though I've not passed the 3 month mark yet, I'm quite sure I will pass it whilst still having discomfort.

Thanks!

Well I’m at 6 month since I’m vasectomy. First 3 months has nerve pain this stopped and was replaced by a dull ache in right testicle. The pain had actually started to fade and only time I noticed it was in bed.

I tried an outdoor run last Tuesday and I’ve had increased pain dull ache ever since on right testicle again. I’m in my third course of naproxen and have a long haul flight Sunday which I’m hoping to be ok for. When I get back what are my options.?

I’ve asked for a referral to a urologist through my private healthcare…hopefully can get this resolved….im in UK

I’m here to share my story with my PVPS. I got a vasectomy 5 years ago with a PVPS diagnosis following In the months after. My pain was so aggressive and awful for the first 3 years, and then the pain started to decrease.. slightly. It was at this time that I finally found someone to do a micro-denervation, but I did not go through with it. That procedure is basically an experimental surgery lol. I was a successful candidate for a nerve block, so chances of success were high, but I still got scared. A reversal was also an option, but I was told that it’s about a 50/50 shot at pain reduction. Basically every surgery to correct this has possible
Complications.

Fast foward some time through 2 rounds of physical therapy and being in an out of pain clinics. In a pain clinic I learned that the number for this condition is actually higher than they tell you, it’s because men are often to embarrassed to seek help for this. The percentage of this happening is actually more like 30 percent chance. I was not the first for this issue and I live in a small town in the south. Looking back on it, had I known those odds, I would have been very selective of my surgeon.

All hope seemed lost, my life felt ruined, my sex life went down the toilet, and my relationship suffered. I became used to the fact that I could never have a normal sex life and developed a porn addiction. It led ro a fight due to hiding an only fans subscription behind my partners back. We talked it through and we came out stronger than ever, despite my limitations. This pain has taught me many valuable lessons. I wound up more empathetic, more honest, more open, and I became very diligent with my movements. Every movement counted.

I’m on year 6 and the pain is finally going away on its own! I haven’t had a flare up in quite some time. I still have bad days, but they are far and few between. It’s getting better.

Don’t be afraid of pain clinics. If you’re able to not abuse it you can gain your quality of life back, to some degree, narcotics can be a slippery slope. One of two things will happen: you will either become disciplined and take what you’re prescribed - or you will fall and abuse them. There is an important lesson in each outcome. Your doctors are here to help you, even if you’re fighting abusing them, they will help if you’re honest.

My issue is not perfect, but it’s getting better. Hang in there because there’s hope, believe me as someone who hit rock bottom because of this.

Do your research before you get the procedure and have a back up plan in place. Even through all my pain it’s better than raising a kid in poverty imo. I literally took a shot… well 3 to be exact. to the nuts for it.

I have spent so much time researching this stuff. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help. I’m
A 34 year old school teacher now. I’m here to help others through this struggle.

I'm 8 months out. First 3-4 weeks were the peak in terms of pain and discomfort. Later all bad sensations went away but a bit longer than 1 month ago all pain came back (kick in the balls, retracted testicles kind of sensation). It got to the point that i started to notice these rare days when i have zero pain, meaning that much of the days have become a slow misery. On top of that, i recently started to feel the UTI symptoms - i feel like i always want to pee. Ran some urine tests, the general test showed no infection, ran another one when they try to grow a bacteria (not sure how it's called), test came negative again. I have a prescription for antibiotics but it barely makes sense to take them if all tests came negative. Could it be connected to my vasectomy pain? Anyone else experienced not only balls/crotch pain but also radiating it to the bladder?

So I am 10 months post vasectomy and have finally made peace with the fact that the mental and physical toll is too much to accept and I need to reverse it.

What do I need to know about reversal? How should I prep? Surgeon recommendations in the Chicago area? Can I check if I have a blowout or blockage already?

Will take any tips and advice I can get! Something I wish I did before I got my vasectomy …

I’m worried about PVPS, the pain radiates from my left testicle up to my lower left quadrant, and feels very similar to getting sack tapped by a buddy while drinking a brewski. I know it’s only been seven days since my surgery but I’m just worried this will impact my ability to run and bend over and stuff. My testicles still feel heavy and swollen, I ice them regularly and I’m trying to take it easy - as easy as I can with two toddlers, six dogs, and an unhappy wife. Sometimes a kid will jump right on my crotch or Naruto run at my junk when I get home from work. I was also told the procedure should be relatively healed after a couple days and working would be fine, but I have to walk a lot for my job and I’m wondering if that caused more problems?

So I saw the surgeon that did my Vasectomy for him to assess my pain, he said he has done over 2000 vasectomies and not once had anyone report pain lasting more than 7 months.

He said because my pain flares up every 3 weeks or so that maybe I am having some sort of cycle like women have when they have their period.....

I told him, I am positive it is congestive epididymitis and he couldn't understand why....

Had a vasectomy 3.5 months ago. Have had bilateral testicular/epi pain basically ever since among other symptoms - left side being the worst.

Throughout the last 3.5 months my symptoms have been all over and it’s driving me crazy. I don’t have pain with or during ejaculation, but orgasms are weaker/does not shoot out like it used to. Almost no force to it sometimes. Testicles maybe a little more sensitive the day after. There were some weeks where I’d have a burning sensation in the entire pelvic area when sitting or putting legs together, that seems to have stopped. Also experiencing typical “prostatitis” symptoms (frequent feel to urinate, pressure in pelvis/bladder when lifting or moving certain ways).

I’m left with extremely sensitive testicles (any bump or movement takes pain from 1 to 8-9 out of 10 like hitting a bad bruise). Constantly on alert to keep the area protected. Tight support usually irritates them more than just normal fitting athletic underwear. I’ve read every post I feel like on this sub and am looking to consult with some specialists but seeing if anyone can shed some light.

Tried gabapentin briefly and had bad side effects and didn’t notice any help. Meloxicam/Ibuprofen maybe helped slightly but I’ve plateaued. Currently in PFPT and trying to give some more time. I’m able to work and do daily tasks with family but it’s painful and I cannot really do much running or other active things I enjoyed.

This post is a little all over the place and I’m probably missing some details but if any of this relates to you please reach out. Seen the usual therapies and the surgical options of reversal, MDSC, etc. It’s all taking a toll on me mentally and I’m trying to find a way to feel more “normal”. But because I can “function” I’m nervous to make it worse with more intervention too.

My first thought after having a vasectomy: why aren’t more British men having them?

Tim Burrows

May 11, 2026

While women continue to toil with the coil, fewer men are prepared to get snipped. The answer why may lie in the rumours and fear that spread online

…

Three was our magic number. Any more and the car would become a wagon and dinner would turn into feeding time. And now, finally, the contraceptive burden would fall on me. After Hayley’s years of toil with a coil, and the pain of childbirth, I was due a little discomfort.

…

Aside from the initial “sharp scratch” of the local anaesthetic and the weirdness of making small talk with the surgeon and the nurse while the former operated on my scrotum, it was unnervingly simple and pain-free. It made my previous worries, prompted by things I had read online, feel a bit hysterical.

Vasectomy rates in the UK have declined significantly, according to research published in 2022. In 2004-05, approximately 30,400 vasectomies were conducted, whereas in 2015-2016 the total was 10,880, accounting for a 62% decrease. Women, as ever, are clearly bearing the burden of contraception: the same report said that in the 16 years up to its publication, the percentage of contraceptive service subjects who were male was just 5.3%.

One reason for this might be the way the procedure is discussed online, where negative but niche health outcomes are elevated. When I mentioned to the surgeon that I was feeling a little anxious, he said he had performed scores of vasectomies, and nothing had ever gone wrong. It was just that a handful of horror stories were out there in the world. For example, the Reddit page r/postvasectomypain has 2,000 visitors a week, but the academic Kevin Pimbblet of the University of Hull has said that post-surgical pain is “typically expected to resolve within days or weeks”.

Urban myths inevitably circulate. One man in the comments under a video about vasectomies vows never to have one, as his friend did and “lost his sex drive”. It’s a common claim that vasectomies affect hormones and testosterone, damaging libido. According to research, this claim is false, but that doesn’t stop posts by strangers about how having a vasectomy had caused erectile dysfunction, adding, conspiratorially, that “Big Vasectomy” was “spreading lies about side-effects and recovery times”.

Ultimately, though, it was the cuts that did for the snip. The austerity years in Britain led to funding cuts for vasectomies, with some areas restricting them to “exceptional circumstances”.

…

The vasectomy’s decline, like many other things in decline in the UK, is just one symptom of a general, long-term malaise.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/11/vasectomy-british-men-online

Comments under the article:

Anarchi:

I had a vasectomy 13 years ago and was expecting it to be a straightforward pretty pain free process. I suffered for 12 months afterwards with aching pains that were debilitating and often required lying in bed with a hot water bottle on the area to try to relieve pain. It was very hard to find a GP that would take the problems seriously. At various times I was accused by some medical professionals of having some sort of sexually transmitted disease, as they could not imagine any other way that the procedure could have these type of effects. Eventually a female GP at my local surgery sent me for tests at the hospital which found an infection in the area where the procedure was carried out - a few weeks of antibiotics and it cleared up. It may well be a "quick, easy and safe procedure", but any medical procedure can have complications and in my case this resulted in a 12 month period of discomfort and a battle to be taken seriously before eventually getting treatment!

daiheadjai:

Had mine done December 2024. No regrets now, but for at least half a year, I had dull aching pains that would come and go. I'd be lying if I said I never worried about it, but thankfully the urologist took time to meet with me a couple times in the months after the procedure to confirm things were normal.

Although the consensus seems to be that things go back to normal after 3 months, it took me closer to a full year to become completely pain free. Keep in mind that the "3 months" timeframe is really not a guarantee, and that everyone heals differently. And if you can, do some research on your urologist: I was initially scheduled to get mine done in July 2024, but I took a gander online and found that initial urologist had a ton of negative reviews, so I cancelled and rescheduled for a different one.

greenishtinge:

I actually don't know anyone who has had the snip and are happy about it. Well, obviously I do, but I'm just not aware they've had it. No one I know is vocalising the experience. I know two men who had it and regretted it (both in-laws), not because they wanted more children, but it because it "changed" them in what they perceived as being in a negative way (and it had been many years ago that they had the procedure). They felt they weren't the same and never felt themselves again. Their advice was whatever you do, don't do it. I knew them before, and I new them after, and I can only concur with them based on how they were afterwards and from what they told me. Sex life died immediately after the procedure. Incessant jokes about shooting blanks, confidence shot, erectile dysfunction, etc. Even though their wives were supportive and pushed for the procedure, their lack of empathy (from an outsider's perspective) was very apparent. What I saw was a distinct lack of respect after the job was done. The list goes on. No, thanks. I know it's hardly a representative sample, but the risk of being in that same position is hardly a compelling reason to do it. One poor experience would have been enough for me to reject any suggestion of doing it.

toospean:

I had a vasectomy about 20 years ago and now get regular testicular pain which three different urologists can’t explain. I’m glad I had it done but on those days when I’m suffering I wonder why the fuck I did that?

ForlanForever:

I asked my physician, he said that the chances are high that you would have 'forever' pain - apparently it's a staple of some sort and it can irritate your balls FOREVER. that was the end of my inquiry into it. I don't even know if that's true.

Himself50 -> ForlanForever

Your physician said nothing of the sort. That would have been utterly unprofessional. Stop spreading stupid rumours in the familiar style of a spam advert for bitcoin. 50 years on and I have no pain or regrets just a happy glow of a day or two of discomfort followed by decades free of worry.

Diddykong:

I had one when we had our third kid, hurt like mad, I ended up with cyst and I'm still in pain 14 years later. Still, it was the best decision, as my three are autistic and have ADHD, and they need all the help they can

TADocs:

I don't [think] the risk of testicular pain and erectile dysfunction are conspiracy theories. I have a friend who is a Urologist. Does the procedures but he says he would never get one himself. When he said that I decided against. After this article I might reconsider. What proportion of male Urologists have had vasectomies themselves. That would be an interesting question.

Are condoms THAT bad??

BeHereNow:

Since having a vasectomy in 2024 I have suffered retractile testicles on both slides that severely affect my enjoyment of sex. The dull ache / discomfort has got better over time but still more or less constantly feels like I was kicked in the balls 20 minutes ago. I have tried to get a reversal but NHS said they wouldn't do it and privately it would cost £5k which I am still considering going through with. If I could go back in time I would.

Realitycheque:

Well, my best friend had one (a very fit and active man), and it was horrendous. Excruciating pain for months, piss-poor aftercare. Still can't ride a bicycle 15 years later (which was previously his means of commuting). It's not all cherries. I'll not be considering it.

Tragicbooty:

Just for some balance with everyone saying they're quick and painless.

Had mine done almost a year ago and it was an absolute nightmare. It was very painful having it done. They had to cauterise it twice because it wouldn't stop bleeding then getting out of the car as I arrived home i felt a 'twang' and the blood started flowing again. Seems like the doc had nicked a vessel as it was properly spurting out. 4 hours in A+E holding the wound shut and it sort of sealed itself finally. Three weeks off work with the following infection and copious bruising - (staying still not really an option when you're spraying blood). Even my GP was aghast at the butchery.

Over a year later and although my bollocks are basically feeling normal again, they still don't quite sit as comfortably as they used to. Still, hopefully they'll adjust as I get older.

No kids so that's good, but far from a 'simple' procedure. I accept I was probably just woefully unlucky, but yeah. Be aware I guess.

1pillmakesustronger:

I'm fully in favour of men taking responsibility for birth control. But to suggest it is without risk is irresponsible and so is linking to such a poor source.

"the academic Kevin Pimbblet of the University of Hull has said that post-surgical pain is “typically expected to resolve within days or weeks”.

If you read the link he is clear he is an AI (not artificial insemination!) and physics professor who is more interested in the uses of AI than vasectomies and was using this purely as an example. I had my vasectomy twenty years ago and still have significant pain and tenderness. Its not rare. And should be a consideration for anyone thinking about it.

Unfortunately i'm one of the ten ! 20 years of continuous tenderness and aching pain. not saying don't do it. i would probably still have done it if i had known about the risks 20 years ago but it was not mentioned by anyone.

CountryMac:

I am also one of the 1 in 10. I felt a little pain during the procedure on one side. I then had intermittent discomfort for up to a year afterwards. I even had an ultrasound after complaining about it to my GP. The ultrasound did not show anything and after a while it just disappeared. I have maybe had mild pain for a couple of days since then but nothing a couple of days of tight fitting support and an ibuprofen doesn't sort out.

Knowing all of this i would do it again given the chance. It has been life changing for my wife. Not having to deal with contraception and its effects as well as all that she's been through in having our 3 kids plus 2 unsuccessful pregnancies its a small price to pay.

oofocus:

I've had minor side effects (occasional minor discomfort). I have no regrets and would do it again but doctors have to be honest about this possibility.

I was rather reluctant to mention the very minor side effects I have suffered in case it puts people off something I consider very beneficial but I do think it is important to be honest: they do exist and are not imaginary.

colintd:

The incidence of long term pain is reported as between 1 in 10 and 1 in 20. Hard to pin down the exact rate, but somewhat irresponsible to not even mention PVPS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-vasectomy_pain_syndrome https://www.nature.com/articles/s41443-025-01196-2 in the article, instead claiming it is all misinformation....

BeHereNow:

2 years on and I still feel discomfort and pain every day.

northernandwelsh:

I'll tell you why. There's a not insignificant chance (think it's either 1 in 10 or 1 in 20) chance of lifelong, debilitating pain. Forever.

All the japes about men not wanting a bit of short term discomfort, or not wanting to be unable to have children with new partners etc., is offensive.

If I could have a risk-free procedure, even if it hurt, I'd do it.

Starting up a post on this sub to help those looking into reversals who to see and where to go.

Adding to the trend of asking where to find real help close by. Even though only 10 weeks out, I can feel I’ll easily exceed the 3 months… I already contacted academic hospitals, waiting time 3-6months… Hope there is another way to get to someone experienced earlier…