Well what makes you less of a man…For the most part it is the male hormone Testosterone. The circulating levels of testosterone do not change after vasectomy or prostatectomy. A vasectomy does not affect erections. A prostatectomy and radiation do potentially negatively affect erections…so in that sense it may very well make someone less of a man if you feel that being a man means having normal erections.  Is there more to being a man than libido or erections?

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John C. McHugh, MD ,
660-A Lanier Park Drive

Gainesville, GA 30501

Does a Vasectomy Reduce Sex Drive?

Sex after a vasectomy shouldn’t be any different than it was before the procedure. The surgery does not involve the blood vessels or nerves that are responsible for erections and ejaculation. It doesn’t reduce a man’s ability to have or enjoy sex–it only eliminates his fertility. Thus, it has no effect on:

• Sex drive
• A man’s ability to have or maintain erections
• Ejaculation
• Orgasms
• Testosterone level

Sex drive after a vasectomy

The male hormone testosterone is produced by the testicles and plays an important role in maintaining a man’s libido. The vasectomy procedure only impacts the flow of sperm through the vas deferens and doesn’t affect how much testosterone the testicles release into the bloodstream. Testosterone levels post-surgery should be exactly the same as they were before the procedure.

If you notice a drop in sex drive after vasectomy, contact your doctor. This could be caused by other factors, such as:

• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Medications, usually SSRI antidepressants such as Prozac or Paxil, or drugs for high blood pressure (such as beta blockers)
• Fatigue or stress

Erections after a vasectomy

There should be no change in your ability to achieve and maintain erections, because the vasectomy surgery doesn’t touch the blood vessels or nerves involved. But erectile dysfunction could signal other serious problems, such as heart disease or diabetes. Talk to your doctor if you have difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection post-vasectomy.

Ejaculation after a Vasectomy

Typically, the only significant different after a vasectomy is that the sperm is missing from the semen, and sperm make up only a very small percentage (less than 5 percent) of the ejaculate. Thus, you shouldn’t notice any change in its color or consistency. The glands that produce most of the semen–such as the seminal vesicles and the prostate–function exactly as they did before the procedure.

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