Because he was asking for a vasectomy at such a young age, Sam had prepared for the questions his doctor was going to ask him: Don’t you think you’re too young to know you don’t want kids? Could you change your mind in future? You do know reversals are expensive and aren’t always successful?<\/p>\n
“[The doctor] actually said he had very recently changed his view,” says Sam. “And that, if I had come in half a year earlier, he would have turned me away instantly.”<\/p>\n
His vasectomy took place a couple of months after he first contacted the clinic.<\/p>\n
The questions from Sam’s doctor were designed to ensure he was making a decision he could live with; men under 30 are more likely to regret a vasectomy, according to guidance from NHS Scotland, external<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr Sarah Salkeld, a former GP who is now a medical director for MSI Reproductive Choices, a group of clinics offering various contraceptives to NHS and private patients, says a vasectomy is “very safe and effective”.<\/p>\n But she cautions it is important for men to “really think about” whether a vasectomy is right for them.<\/p>\n “We offer everyone counselling to talk about it if they want to, just to\u2026 make sure they’ve got all the information they need to make that decision.” <\/p>\n She says reversals are not routinely available on the NHS as there are strict criteria for having one. <\/p>\n