How to Convince Your Husband to Get a Vasectomy

Whether you're done having children or just want a permanent method of birth control, a vasectomy is a way to handle both concerns. Unfortunately, it's your husband who has to get the procedure, and he's not so keen on the idea. Not to worry--with a little coaxing and a lot of love and reassurance, you can convince your husband to get a vasectomy.

Instructions

1. Be gentle. Wait for the right time to bring up the subject, and broach it gently. Don't demand or "spring" it on your husband, just wait until he's relaxed and you both can focus on the conversation. This is an important decision that you both have to be OK with, so give it the time and attention it deserves. Discuss how you are both done having children and/or want a permanent method of birth control.

2. Let your husband talk. Listen to how your husband feels about a vasectomy. Make sure that he really doesn't want any more kids either.

3. Reassure him that a vasectomy will not make him less of a man or make his testicles look funny. A vasectomy is simply the snipping and cauterizing of the vas deferens. Assure him that his sexual function will not be inhibited at all, his drive will still be high, but he won't be sending out any "swimmers" anymore.

4. Compare procedures for him. You're married and you're a team. Your team needs you both functioning at high capacity to care for your children. A vasectomy take 1 to 2 days to heal from. By comparison, a tubal ligation for a woman takes 4 to 6 weeks of being out of commission. A vasectomy is a 20-minute outpatient procedure. A tubal ligation can take several hours plus recovery time, is major surgery in the hospital, and costs a lot more.

5. Compare the costs of another pregnancy and raising a child versus the bit of discomfort he'll be in for a few days.

6. Encourage your husband to talk to other men who have had vasectomies. Find out ahead of time from your female friends if their husbands have had vasectomies. Many men have had them, they just don't talk about them. If you have a mutual friend who has had one, see if your husband will talk to him. Men don't usually talk about things like that, but once you broach the subject, maybe all together in a group, the men will usually be OK with talking about their vasectomy experience. Expect a little bravado on the men's part--they have to cope with the sensitive subject somehow.

7. Assure your husband that you will be there to drive him home from the procedure and take good care of him afterwards. Reassure him that you'll be there to help him through it.

8. Appeal to your husband's amorous side by reminding him that, after a vasectomy, it will be fun to have sex without having to worry about pregnancy.

Tips & Warnings

• A vasectomy is not easy to reverse, and therefore should be considered permanent.

• You should still use birth control for up to 6 weeks after a vasectomy until you get two "all clear" tests from the doctor showing a zero sperm count.