Sex and masturbation after a vasectomy
August 23 2021 | News
One of the questions often asked about a vasectomy centres on sex and masturbation after this minor procedure is carried out.
Men are understandably keen to know:
- Will a vasectomy affect my sex drive?
- Will a vasectomy make masturbation painful?
- How quickly can I have sex or masturbate after having a vasectomy?
- How long do I have to wait after a vasectomy until it is an effective form of contraception?
Sex and masturbation may be an embarrassing subject for patients to talk about but are important issues when it comes to getting back to normal after a vasectomy and we aim to answer these questions here.
Everyone is different
People heal and recover from surgery at different rates but we would generally recommend that you should try to avoid sex, masturbation and ejaculating after a vasectomy for at least a week, which should give ample time for healing.
It is safe to masturbate and have sex again once the wounds heal and any minor pain, discomfort and swelling subside. It’s an individual thing, it won’t take long but it’s normally OK to resume your sexual activity within a week.
Will sex hurt?
It’s possible that the first few ejaculations after your vasectomy may feel uncomfortable but any discomfort should not last long. It is also possible that you may initially see some streaks of blood in your semen but, again, this shouldn’t last long and is perfectly normal after the procedure.
Apart from this immediate short-term, a vasectomy won’t affect your ability to masturbate, have sex or your sex drive – in fact, it is extremely unlikely that you will notice any difference.
Taking precautions
It is safe to masturbate after a vasectomy without taking any additional precautions but it’s important to remember that you continue to use contraception during sex for the first few months after surgery.
It will take at least 30 ejaculations to rid the active sperm from your system and you can submit your semen sample for analysis after a minimum of 16 weeks.