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Men Who've Gotten A Vasectomy Share Their Experiences

Reddit user GaleNotTheWind asked: 'Men of Reddit who have gotten a vasectomy, what was your experience?'

Pair of scissors
Markus Winkler/Unsplash

According to the Cleveland Clinic, over 50 million men have had a vasectomy.

Although avoiding sexual intercourse is the only effective way to avoid pregnancy, the male birth control procedure still has a low failure rate.

Those who are apprehensive about having a vasectomy fear the following: pain, impact on sex life, effectiveness, and side effects like cancer. (The National Cancer Institute and the American Urological Association have found that the procedure does not increase the risk of prostate cancer).

To seek some reassurance, Redditor GaleNotTheWind asked:

"Men of Reddit who have gotten a vasectomy, what was your experience?"

Guys discuss what happened after the snipping.

Making Sure

"For the love of God, do the follow-up appointment. The last thing you want is to be accidentally playing with a loaded gun."

– sleepypanda59

Wise To Wait

"The paper work I got for mine which was done less than 2 weeks ago said that you could have sex 2-3 days after but... definitely said to wait another few days."

– SisterPhister666

Follow Post-Surgical Procedures Or Else

"Had it done twice while living in Japan no less. Why twice? The first one failed."

"... apparently, so did the second (says my now 6 year old daughter)."

– shoelessmarcelshell

These men found that the procedure itself wasn't a big deal.

Assurance

"I was super anxious, but I had a great procedure. I was more freaked out about the shot of numbing agent to the balls, but it was legit nothing to worry about."

– Reddit

Normal In No Time

"Little operation, blue balls and no wanking for a week, then back to normal but without getting anyone pregnant."

– Bright_Composer_3901

"Made the mistake of having a pop after a couple of days. Jesus, the regret."

– Alante

Best Money Ever Spent

"When I woke up after the anesthesia - yes I asked to be put under, best $55 (after insurance) I ever spent - the caffeine headache I had upon waking was the most painful part. The preoperative instructions were nothing but water the evening before, no water for 4 hours before going under. The Safeway brand cola that the angel aftercare nurse brought me was pure refreshment."

– HarrumphingDuck

Cherry On Top

"Local anesthesia stings for a second or two then all you can feel is tugging after all is done the pain I would describe is like blue balls for like 2 days tops. I took a week off work recommend by doctor since I’m a construction worker and the heavy lifting but I felt like after day 3 I was good to go. Cons: minor pain discomfort, no hanky panky until last semen sample came out clear. Pros: , no unplanned pregnancies(it’s still possible very rarely)."

– Secure_Requirement84

Some final thoughts.

Only Pros

"To me, the only bad part was the smell of the cauterization of my vas deferens.. the procedure was fine. Local anesthesia before and during just felt slight tugging no pain. Recovery was easy. No pain. No cons. Only pros. And if absolutely need be it’s reversible. Much easier and less invasive than a woman getting her tubes tied and significantly less harmful than birth control. I’m an advocate. Get it done!"

– PunchARacist

One Unsettling Thing

"For me, it wasn’t the smell but watching the little puffs of smoke during the cauterization. That was truly and deeply unsettling."

"Otherwise, yeah, nothing major to report. Stayed in bed for a day watching old horror movies and assembling a Lego plant. Pretty much business as usual after that."

– GuestCartographer

The One Constant

"Got a vasectomy, it worked. Got it reversed, that worked.... twice Got another vasectomy...17 years later, all good. Just go to a legit great Dr. I mean top of the field Dr. For ANY messsin around down there. Vasectomy is WAY easier now than 25-30 years ago. In/out in an hour... The only thing that hasn't changed? ... The bag of frozen peas ..😂"

– richwat00

Vasectomies are performed via two methods, the incision vasectomy or a no-scalpel vasectomy, and both use local anesthesia to numb the scrotum.

Always consult a healthcare provider before undergoing the procedure and–most importantly–make sure you don't want to have children or that you and your spouse don't want to add additional family members.

Based on the anecdotes above, there's nothing to fear, so feel free to man up and get to snipping.

Guys Break Down Why Their Last Partner Broke Up With Them

Reddit user GreekRifle asked: 'Men, why did your last girlfriend dump you?'

A breakup is never easy.

Even so, it is sometimes the only solution when one, or both, members of a couple realize that their relationship simply isn't meant to be.

Sometimes, pinpointing what went wrong in a relationship is difficult that and even years later you still can't find a single reason.

Other times, however, why a relationship came to an end is made abundantly clear by your former partner, sometimes letting you down easily, other times not mincing word one bit.

Redditor GreekRifle was curious to hear from the men of Reddit why their partners chose to end their relationships, leading them to ask:

"Men, why did your last girlfriend dump you?"

A Love That Will Never Die...

"She was in love with her gay best friend."- Lucius_Funk

Communication Is Key

"We didn’t really get each other communication-wise."- heyitsvonage

Too Close To Home...

"Because my mother died of a terminal illness and she had (unbeknownst to me) breast cancer."

"I think she knew it would have wrecked me all over again."- fdxfgyhers

To Love Another, You Must Also Love Yourself.

"I didn't take care of myself."

"I degraded to a state that made me boot worthy"- ToeKnail

Did You Hear That?

"Because I was a sh*tty listener."

"I immediately went and bought and read 4 books on listening."

"I won’t have that happen again."- awerwe4yuti

A Very Important Decision

"She wanted children, I did not."

"We kinda dumped each other for the best, but she took more initiative to see it through."- BrukaAllvar

Wasn't Meant To Last

"Both of us were busy with school and work and so we were spending less time together than usual."

"Around a month into this, she decided that the relationship had gone stale and we should break up."

"I'm not gonna pretend like it was only her fault, cus I only realized how stale our relationship had gotten when she texted me to ask for a breakup."

"I did offer to try and salvage it all, but she turned that idea down pretty quickly."

"Like half a year later she called me in a drunken state and asked if I want to hook up with her."- Phoenix_BFN

On To Better Things... Or Not...

"We were 19 (her) and 22 (me)."

"She decided she wanted to date her coworker."

"A 37 year old pizza delivery guy who lived with his mom and had 2 kids from a previous marriage that he admittedly screwed up."

"They ended up getting married, she was the primary/only breadwinner for awhile because he got fired and then just kinda never tried getting hired again."

"They eventually split up because I think he cheated on her and she tried reaching out to me on Facebook and through mutual friends."

"Yeah………no thanks."

"By then I was married to the love of my life, had 3 kids, a career, just bought a house and adopted a dipsh*t husky from the pound."

"I’m good."- Thebaldsasquatch

"The dude she'd liked for many many years who always told her no when she asked him out realized he could very well lose her to me and said If she wanted to date him he'd go for it now."

"She left me, 4 months later she married him, and now 13 years later is IIRC Divorced from him."

"Jokes on her though, 6 months after we broke up I started dating a friend of mine, we dated for 2 years (compared to 2 months with the ex) and then we got married, and we just had our 11th wedding anniversary in august."

"We have a 4 year old son and every aspect of our relationship is way way better than my relationship with the ex."-evileyeball

It's Complicated...

"She stated that we were headed in different directions."

"She said she still loved me but couldn’t do the relationship anymore as she was 'dragging me down'."

"She was dealing with something that she just couldn’t deal with while being in a relationship with me."

" All of these are reasons she gave me the day we broke up."

"I truly hadn’t seen this happening as we had been talking about marriage."

"She had brought it up and then a month later she asked to go on a two week break, then asked to end the break early because she didn’t want to loose me."

"Less than a week later we broke up because she 'just couldn’t do this anymore'."

"All in all I suppose I don’t know."

"I thought we would spend our lives together, and she had told me constantly that was what she wanted."

"Then one day I suppose she woke up and decided we were over."

"I don’t hold any resentment towards her, and I wouldn’t ask her to explain why."

"Sometimes you fall in love just to fall out of it."

"Other times you find the right person at the wrong time, it really doesn’t matter."

"I hope she finds the right person for her, and I know I’ll keep on moving forward til the day I can’t."- RansomTheTrees

There's No Place Like Home...

"She realized, that she stopped being happy to come home and found things to do to stay out."

"I wanted to end the relationship on the very same day or wanted to have a talk, so not too bad of a break up."- Resident-Worry-2403

Anyone's Guess

"Ask her."

"Really I don't know why she broke up with me."- frogmicky

Ironically, It's Wrong To Always Need To Be Right...

"Wasn’t mature enough to put her feelings before my position in an argument."

"Unfortunately had to learn to be a better person at the expense of an innocent person."- kitchensclosed

Everyone Deserves A Second Chance...

"Because I was a sh*tty person."

"And I wish I hadn't been, but I became a good one after that and regret it cost someone so much."- Skelegasm

It's hard to come to terms with ending things with someone you thought you loved.

Yet, better to have had that love then to never love at all.


Four young men sit on a mountainside while laughing and talking
Photo by Matheus Ferrero

Men can be a mystery.

They like to hide as much as they can about themselves.

In truth, the rest of the world already suspects most of whatever behaviors they're trying to bury.

But often, it's so healthy to unburden yourself whenever you can.

Isn't it also comforting to know we aren't alone on this?

You do that? ME TOO!

Redditor Miguenzo wanted all the men out there to make some confessions, so they asked:

"What is something all guys do but will never admit to doing?"

Going to the bathroom sitting down more often than you think.

That's a guy truth I'll admit to.

I like to be comfortable.

Playtime

U Know Flirt GIF by WimbledonGiphy

"I play with my penis more than any other object, by far."

killsafety

"And not even in a sexual way. Sometimes just flopping it from left to right while watching TV."

OneMorePotion

"This is what my wife had a hard time understanding. Just cause I'm messing with it, doesn't mean I'm aroused. I'm just fidgeting and that's my object."

Cigarettelegs

HER

"Imagine your entire life with a girl you just met."

Old_Situation4990

"Did this this weekend. The most beautiful woman working as a barmaid I have ever seen."

"However, I know it's annoying having someone hit on you while working and working in a bar she must get it all the time. so I kept quiet ordered my drinks and didn't bother her. She remembered what I was drinking by the 3rd drink. that was enough for me. LMAO."

EngineersMasterPlan

Think About It

"Daydream about insane scenarios that will never happen where you're the main hero that swoops in to save the day. Common examples include things like thinking you could figure out how to land an entire airplane in an emergency, thinking about 'What happens if there's a robbery and I stop the bad guy,' thinking about saving someone from a burning building, thinking you could save someone's life if there's a random medical emergency, etc."

bbbbbthatsfivebees

Spoons and Forks

"Not sure if this is for all guys, but my BF will never ever admit that he prefers to be the little spoon 😭."

raviolixx

"I’m over a foot taller than my wife, so I often joke that 'she’s my better third.' But I HATE being a big spoon. Nothing makes me happier in my marriage like being a little spoon, curled up, while she runs her fingers through my hair… Just thinking about is releasing the endorphins. We will hit 29 years together in a couple of months, and it not only never gets old, it gets better with age."

ZacInStl

Pick Away

jason clarke flirting GIF by OriginalsGiphy

"Nose picking is more common than anyone will admit."

oldwhitch

"Nose picking is probably the most efficient way to get uncomfortable buggers out of your nose."

AllDressedJalapenos

Ugh. Nose pickers. Stop it. Just stop it!

Whoops

Uh Oh Oops GIF by 20th Century Fox Home EntertainmentGiphy

"Morning pees sometimes go sideways and there's annoying cleaning up to do."

Apprehensive_Sky9062

Sniffed

"Sniff our armpits to be sure they don't stink or we enjoy the smell."

Individual-Option514

"This one is def gender neutral. I've had several girlfriends be embarrassed that I 'caught them' smell-checking themselves. As if they thought it was some secret weird thing they do and nobody else did. LOL."

Zeallust

"When I get nervous I stick my hands under my arms and then I sniff my armpit smell off my fingers and it calms me back down."

Papaya_flight

Inch by Inch

"Measuring their penis. Yeah, some will admit it. But some refuse to admit it."

Just4TheSpamAndEggs

"I don’t need a tape measure to know what disappointment looks like."

flightlessf**kbucket

Haven't done it in a while. At this point, I'm too afraid it's gotten smaller. If that's possible."

Double_Win_9405

"I have honestly never measured my d*ck. Girls I dated did. The numbers really mean nothing to me. I only cared if it was too small. Once girls told me it wasn't, I was satisfied."

esoteric_enigma

I Feel Pretty

"Being friendlier to attractive women."

JoeSchmoe314159

"Attractive women are scarier for many, so a lot of us probably come off as aloof or rude whatever towards them because we just kind of ignore them (actually are just too nervous to address them directly)."

"This isn't such a thing for me now that I'm in my 30s and have a long-time committed partner. No pressure... lol. But I know when I was a younger guy in the dating pool, the very attractive women were terrifying... lol."

bossmcsauce

"Attractive people actually get treated better in most areas of life in general. It’s called Pretty Privilege. Attractive people are trusted more easily, looked up to more, invited to more things, talked to more, can get a raise easier, and obviously can date easier."

Ur_Fav_Step-Redditor

At least once

"If you're single; Having feelings/Attraction to almost every female friend you've got. Doesn't have to be strong feelings. Doesn't have to be romantic. But you've thought about it. At least once. Maybe three times."

TA2556

"Definitely not universal. This stopped happening to me after I started and finished one major relationship."

"You develop a sense for what you actually want -- and how much more valuable friendship can be than any random romance."

"Also, as a straight guy, having uncomplicated friendships with multiple women is a great way to just get out in life, meet people and situations you never would've otherwise, and not bog down your own psyche. Really elevated my 20s."

MRIchalk

Underneath

wicked GIF by Ice CubeGiphy

"Kicking ice cube under the fridge when falls."

Subject-Inflation805

"Gotta feed those shadow critters."

UnRealmCorp

I love the ice cube kick.

I think it's gender universal.

More often than not, when men try to do something "sexy" in an effort to impress a woman, it tends to backfire on them.

Perhaps it is the visible amount of effort behind what they're doing or the fact that they don't do it as well as the movie star they took inspiration from.

Either way, despite their best efforts, women tend to find this sort of behavior anything but sexy.

In fact, more often than not, men have a way of turning people on without them even realizing it.

As it's often the little things that can make someone blush, anything from opening a door or slicing into a ripe tomato.

Redditor finnjakefionnacake was eager to hear all the sexy things men do without their even realizing it, leading them to ask:

"What things do men do that are sexy that they don't realize are sexy?"

When They Don't Even Know Their Own Strength

"Was getting busy with a girl one time and her head was too close to the headboard, trying to save her a potential concussion, I moved backwards and grabbed her under her hips and pulled / lifted her about two feet down the bed towards me."

"The sound she made and the look she gave me is still in my head lol."

"Afterwards she brought it up and said it was incredibly sexy how I could just handle and move her around so easily with so little effort."- Mage2177

So, So, Hot...

"I once changed a radiator in my house and that, without doubt, got me more attention and flattery from the women in my life than anything else I've ever done."- Jasper-Packlemerton

It's The NOT Knowing...

"It’s a trap fellas, just live in ignorant bliss."

"Once you realize something is sexy, you will become a self-conscious dork about it and it will no longer be sexy."- PMMeUrHopesNDreams

What Just Happened Wtf GIF by SomeGoodNewsGiphy

Magic Fingers

"My bf and I went to eat at this restaurant before we knew we had feelings for each other."

"While I would talk he would either laugh or smile and once while doing so he circled the rim of his glass with his finger."

"I later found out that he did it unconditionally but I short-circuited while he did it."- AsasLowkey

To Each Their Own...

"An ex of mine once got turned on when I told her I put a hand on the wall when I pee."

"I’m not sure I fully understand that one."- PaleAleDale

One Hand, One Heart...

"My wife has told me taking my shirt off with one hand is a thing."

"That kind of blew my mind."- trugrav

"One- handed steering wheel grip, reverse parking with their arm resting behind the passenger seat."- getupandstudy

motor oil shot GIFGiphy

Doing It For The Thrills... And Then Some...

"My girlfriend was locked out of her apartment and I picked her lock."

"I picked the hell out of that lock."- paulo39Atati

Hits The Spot...

"My heart does a little flip each time my significant other, ever so slightly puts his hand on my back when we’re walking (to guide me), or if he’s trying to squeeze by behind me."

" I don’t know why that gets me fired up lol."- princess19977

Knowledge Is Power!

"Being booksmart."

"If I ask my boyfriend a history question and he randomly knows the answer to it or if I ask about a math problem and watching him figure it out is the hottest thing, like yea you divide those numbers baby."- maneaterlex

Matt Damon Math GIF by MIRAMAXGiphy

Nice And Oily...

"An ex said it was hot watching me change her car's oil."- SafeAndSane04

Compassion Is Always The Answer

"Caring for helpless things."- Maleficent_Scale_296

Speed Can Be A Turn On...

"There was a study done in Japan to see what school-aged ladies saw as attractive in their male counterparts and 'running fast' was like number one or two for elementary and middle schoolers."- Embershot89

Run Fast Running Man GIF by TRTGiphy

There's Someone Out There For Everyone

"I heard one million power in 'Rise of Kingdoms' gets you any girl you want."- Key_Vermicelli_3138

Strong And Efficient...

"Carrying as many folding chairs as you can at once."- KbossDPT2019

Most of the time, the sexiest things are also the most unexpected.

That being said, any good boyfriend knows that a wet t-shirt now and then can't hurt...

There's no denying that men have it easier than women do in just about everything.

With this in mind, it's hard not to join in with those who judge men who display stereotypical, chauvinistic behavior.

However, some would argue, or more specifically some MEN would argue, that they are judged for too many things.

And indeed, everyone would agree that far too many men are judged for displaying behavior that doesn't exactly scream "masculinity."

Redditor Few-Strength5065 reached out to the men of Reddit, asking them what they think men should be able to partake in or enjoy without judgment from others, leading them to ask:

Happiness Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

"Being content with enough."- Zenshin26

The Definition Of Antiquated

"Being the one who takes care of kids in a relationship or making less money than their partner."- HartoCD

Everyone Has The Right To Decompress

"Playing."

"I bust my a** at work and save money so I can then play."

"That might be video games, might be a sport, might be building random shit in a workshop, but whatever it is, let a bro have his hobbies/playtime."

"See a 30 year old playing Pokémon?"

"Good, leave him alone and let him have his fun."- Link9454

Adam Driver Snl GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy

Head Out Of Gutters People...

"Eating bananas."

"Just tryna get the potassium bro."- MightyKing19

Father's Spending Time With Their Children? The Very Thought!

"Taking kids to the park/walmart/etc."

"Too many horror stories of some Karen taking issue with this as if it's wrong for men to be fathers."

"Also, just being a dad in general."

"There was that phase in the media where the father was played off as some idiot that couldn't even without the help of the wife.'

"Our culture seemed to buy this idea wholesale, and we're still reeling from the effects."- ridicalis

"Being a parent."

"Any time a dad is out alone with his kids other people always ask if he's on babysitting duty."

"It's not called babysitting it's called being a parent."- Elementus94

Fathers Day Dad GIF by America's Funniest Home VideosGiphy

Peace And Quiet Can Be Hard To Come By

"Wanting to be left the hell alone."

"It’s not that we don’t want to spend time with our partners, but for f*ck sake alone time is valuable."

"Sometimes your man just wants a little time to himself and there’s nothing wrong with that or anything to read into about it."-Jollybritishchap

Smart, Smart Boy...

"Maybe a minor one, not talked about a lot but: watching certain movies."

"Growing up I was always taught that certain things were just for girls."

"I’m 29, just watched Charlie’s Angels for the first time a month ago and I’m honestly mad at what could’ve been a pretty formative movie."

'When I was 14 or so, my uncle was trying to ask me and my cousin which movie we wanted to rent for the evening."

"It came down to Catwoman or Scorpion King, and my cousin chose Catwoman only for my uncle to say 'that’s gay' to which my cousin replied: 'how is you wanting to watch The Rock all shirtless and oiled up not gay, but me wanting to watch Halle Berry in a skintight leather cat suit is?'"- CinnaSol

All That Matters Is How They Taste

"Liking 'girly' cocktails."

"Let me have a margarita."

"Generally, anything deemed 'girly'."- Panal-Lleno

Jimmy Fallon Drinking GIFGiphy

NO MEANS NO!!!

"Telling a woman no."- AFLYINGDINGUS

Minimalism Is Popular

"Having empty apartments."

"As much as it’s nice to have decorations in a house, I don’t give a sh*t about it."

"As long as my house is clean and I am comfortable in it then I have the essentials."

"My girlfriend is the only reason our house is decorated."- Grundle_Gripper_

Dancing Alone GIF by Aaron AyeGiphy

Emotions Are A Sign Of Strength

"Opening up their emotions."

"Being a man can be so lonely."

"if your struggling don't be afraid."- JillHardenerOfficial

Interest Can't Be Forced

"Not being interested in sports."- Klutzy_Growth1945

Major League Soccer No GIF by Sporting KCGiphy

Many people have their opinions of what a "real man" should do and be.

Without any justification for that opinion whatsoever.

After all, it seems safe to agree that a "real man" couldn't care less what others think about their interests and hobbies, as long as they aren't bringing any harm to others.

Ideally, they might even be bringing others joy.