Psychological correlates of vasectomy

Objective: To examine the thoughts and concerns of men contemplating vasect omy before speaking to a physician as well as their partner's role in reach ing this decision. Design: A questionnaire analysis using response rates, ANOVA, and regressio n analyses. Setting: A large Midwestern teaching hospital. Patient(s): Visitors to the urology clinic of the hospital. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): [1] Questionnaire designed by authors. [2] Measure s of self-concept, relationship satisfaction, and problem-solving abilities . Result(s): [1] Subjects had been considering vasectomy for an average of 1 year and were fairly certain of their decision. [2] Anxiety about vasectomy surgery was mostly driven by fear about pain and fear of the unknown. [3] Concerns about the finality of the procedure did not emerge as a big concer n. [4] There is confusion about the reversibility of the procedure. [5] Sub jects are better problem solvers and have a higher self-concept than people in general. Conclusion(s): Our findings demonstrate the need for adequate prevasectomy counseling, particularly in the area of postoperative expectations, as well as reversibility of the procedure. (C) 2001 by American Society for Reprod uctive Medicine.