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Contraception - Management
How should I assess a man who is considering vasectomy?
- Assess the man's:
- Mental capacity to make the decision.
- Level of understanding of the advantages, disadvantages, and relative failure rates of vasectomy and alternative long-term reversible methods of contraception. See Advice and information.
- Risk for later regret. Take additional care when counselling people who are:
- Less than 30 years of age.
- Without children.
- Taking decisions during pregnancy.
- Taking decisions in reaction to the loss of a relationship.
- Possibly at risk of coercion by their partner, family, or health or social welfare professionals.
- Cultural, religious, psychosocial, psychosexual, and psychological issues.
- Risk for sexually transmitted infection and, when appropriate, advise testing, promote safer sex, and/or refer for counselling.
- Assess also the man's partner's suitability for sterilization, as the couple's clinical history, present symptoms, or abnormal examination findings may influence which partner goes forward to have sterilisation.
In depth
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