features
So, the factory is closed, the stork isn’t coming to your house ever again,
you’re ready to make your birth control permanent – what are your options?
Brooke Chenoweth investigates
I
t seems like only yesterday that we were getting excited
over engagements, planning weddings and welcoming
babies into the world. But we’ve suddenly reached a point
in our lives where the conversation amongst friends is
likely to include talk of vasectomies. It’s usually slotted in
somewhere between the discussion about your husband’s
bad back and complaining about school fees!
Your children are a blessing, and they bring you limitless
joy, but the reality is, most parents reach a point – whether
by choice or out of necessity – when they decide that their
baby-making days are over. And while Mother Nature has
ways of letting you know that window has closed, if you’ve
made a conscious choice in your 30s or 40s, you may have
to wait a while for menopause.
Many couples choose to rely on standard forms of
contraception, and a number of these offer protection
for several years (such as an IUD or implant), but there
are surgical options for both men and women that offer a
permanent solution. Let’s take a look at these in detail.
For Him
There’s really only one permanent solution for men – the
vasectomy. The word alone has a tendency to make
most men squeamish but the reality is, it is very safe and,
according to Planned Parenthood, almost 100 per cent
effective at preventing pregnancy.
Matthew Chan* had a vasectomy several years ago after
fathering three children. When asked why he felt a vasectomy
was the best option for him, he says, “As with all birth control
you look at the pros and cons and the practicalities and it is
a very personal choice. The biggest decision for a vasectomy
is its finality, but once you are OK with that it has a number
of advantages. No medication to remember to take, no
possibility of something failing to work, no issues on whose
April 2018
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