DIY kits for vasectomy checks

A new test that can be carried out at home claims to allow men to check whether their vasectomy has been successful.

The test, which works in a similar way to pregnancy check kits, takes ten minutes to give a sperm count reading. This tells the man whether the vasectomy has reduced his sperm count to below the minimum level needed to make a woman pregnant.

It is hoped the convenience of a shop-bought test will encourage more men to check that their vasectomy has actually worked, the Daily Mail reports. Around 40% do not undergo a post-operative check, either through embarrassment or because they are reluctant to take time off work for it.

More than 40,000 vasectomies are carried out every year in the UK. But not every procedure is successful. For this reason, men are urged to return to hospital for sperm-count checks two to three months after the vasectomy has taken place.

The Sperm Check test works by detecting whether a man’s sperm count is above or below a threshold of 250,000 per millilitre of semen. A few drops of semen are placed into a ‘well’ on the hand-held kit. Sensors embedded in the device measure the presence of certain proteins found only in sperm. When results have been processed, a line appears in the display window to show whether there was enough of a sample to perform the test.
A second line then appears only if the sperm count is above 250,000 - meaning the vasectomy has failed. If the second line doesn’t appear, the vasectomy was successful. Men are urged to repeat the test at least once, to double-check the results.

Ann Furedi, chief executive of the BPAS, said it was vital all men had post-vasectomy checks:

‘Around 80 per cent of our patients have sperm checks three months after the procedure, either by sending a sample through the post - which is a popular service - or by attending a clinic.
‘That still leaves one in five who do not get their sperm count checked. Many men have the view that if they get the brakes fixed on their car, they expect them to work, and it should be the same with a vasectomy. But things don’t always go to plan.’

The DIY test that checks if your vasectomy has worked Daily Mail, 10 December 2008