According to a recent study, getting a vasectomy might actually increase the amount of sex you have.  The study was done by researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine, and found that men who have undergone vasectomy have sex more frequently than their non-vasectomized counterparts, and according to the data female partners of vasectomized men also have sex more often as well. The study was published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine Study.

A vasectomy is a surgical procedure used as an effective form of birth control or permanent contraception.  The procedure severs and seals the vas deferens to prevent the release of sperm when a man ejaculates, in turn preventing fertilization.   Although research doesn’t concur, many men are reluctant to have the surgery because they worry that it will effect and decrease their sexual potency and create problems with climax, erections and overall sexual satisfaction.  

This study was undertaken to help the healthcare community better explain the impact that a vasectomy has on patients and their sex life after the procedure. Having the right quantitative data can help relieve some of the anxiety men contemplating the surgery have about sexual function after surgery.

The study compared the sexual frequency of vasectomized and non-vasectomized men as well as women whose partners did, or did not, have the procedure.  The study looked at men in the United States aged between 25 and 45, and were part of the National Survey of Family Growth.

In general, what they found was that women who had a partner with a vasectomy were almost 50% more likely to have sex once a week than those women with partners that did not have a vasectomy. This was likely due to less anxiety over unplanned pregnancy.  Moreover, oral contraceptives can lower sex drive, so being able to stop taking them can reinvigorate sex life. This could also be due to these couples being more sexually active before surgery and continuing in this pattern, but more research will need to be done to know for sure.

Although it is a safe and effective procedure for most men, there are some side effects of vasectomy including pain, infection, swelling, and bleeding under the skin, known as a hematoma. As with any surgery there can be some discomfort that comes with the surgery itself, but is generally slight.