Vasectomy is a safe and effective birth control choice for men who are certain they don't want to father a child in the future.

• Vasectomy is nearly 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy.
• Vasectomy is an outpatient surgery with a low risk of complications or side effects.
• The cost of a vasectomy is far less than the cost of female sterilization (tubal ligation) or the long-term cost of birth control medications for women.

A vasectomy means you won't need to take birth control steps before sex, such as putting on a condom.

Your doctor will probably ask you to stop taking aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or other blood-thinning medications several days before your surgery. These can include warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven, others), heparin and over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others).

To perform a vasectomy, your doctor will likely follow these steps:

Numb the surgery area by injecting a local anesthetic into the skin of your scrotum with a small needle.

Make a small cut (incision) in the upper part of your scrotum once the surgery area is numb. Or with the "no-scalpel" technique, make a small puncture in the scrotum instead of an incision.

Locate the tube that carries semen from your testicle (vas deferens).

Withdraw part of the vas deferens through the incision or puncture.

Cut the vas deferens where it has been pulled out of the scrotum.

Seal the vas deferens by tying it, using heat (cauterizing), surgical clips or a combination of methods. Then your doctor will return the ends of the vas deferens to the scrotum.

Close the incision at the surgery area. Stitches or glue may be used. In some cases, the wound may be left to close on its own over time.

Your doctor will give you instructions for recovery. Your doctor might tell you to:

Call right away if you have signs of infection, such as blood oozing from the surgery site; a temperature of more than 100.4 F (38 C); redness; or worsening pain or swelling.

Support your scrotum with a bandage and tightfitting underwear for at least 48 hours after your vasectomy.

Apply ice packs to the scrotum for the first two days.

Limit activity after surgery. You'll need to rest for 24 hours after surgery. You can probably do light activity after two or three days, but you'll need to avoid sports, lifting and heavy work for a week or so. Overdoing it could cause pain or bleeding inside the scrotum.

Avoid any sexual activity for a week or so. If you do ejaculate, you may feel pain or notice blood in your semen. If you have sexual intercourse, use another form of birth control until your doctor confirms that sperm are no longer present in your semen.

Most doctors do a follow-up semen analysis six to 12 weeks after surgery to be certain that no sperm are present. You'll need to give your doctor sperm samples to examine. To produce a sperm sample, your doctor will have you masturbate and ejaculate into a container or use a special condom without lubrication or spermicide to collect semen during intercourse. Your semen is then examined under a microscope to see whether sperm are present.