Safe for All Men

With proper counseling and informed consent, any man can have a vasectomy safely, including men who:

• Have no children or few children
• Are married or are not married
• Do not have wife's permission
• Are young
• Have sickle cell disease
• Are at high risk of infection with HIV or another STI
• Are living with HIV, whether or not on antiretroviral therapy (see Vasectomy for Men Living With HIV).

In some of these situations, especially careful counseling is important to make sure the man will not regret his decision (see Chapter 12 – Female Sterilization, section on Because Sterilization is Permanent).

Avoid Unnecessary Procedures

(see Importance of Selected Procedures in Chapter 26 – Family Planning Provision)

Men can have a vasectomy:

• Without any blood tests or routine laboratory tests
• Without a blood pressure check
• Without a hemoglobin test
• Without a cholesterol or liver function check
• Even if the semen cannot be examined by microscope later to see if it still contains sperm.