Ray’s experience: Vasectomy in 1970

In redoing the math it was about 33 years ago, approximately 1970.

Not much to say. We had two boys. My wife became pregnant within a month or so of her stopping the pill both times. We didn’t want a house full of rug rats (I came from a family of 9 kids). The pill was not a good long term solution. Me getting snipped seemed much simpler than her getting her tubes tied. I read about it in the popular press. It was presented as a simple alternative to having your wife’s tubes being tied. I don’t remember seeing anything about possible long term effects.

The attitude of my wife and I was that having two children was the responsible thing to do. The world was not suffering from underpopulation. We felt we could do a better job of raising two, rather than the nine that I had come from. I had it done in spite of it being a “Mortal Sin”. I am not religious anymore, is it still considered a sin?

I don’t remember doing any research at the time, after all, it was such a simple procedure. Nor do I remember discussing it with anyone. My wife was unaware of the procedure until I explained it to her. I did not know anyone else who had it done. There was enough literature that I was fully aware of the procedure. Still to me, it was no big deal, just the best of the alternatives. Prior to the operation, I did not know of anyone who had it done.

I am not a big consumer of medical services – this remains the second operation of my life. I had my tonsils removed when I was 10. It has been 10 years since I have been to a doctor. At the time my wife called a urologist, he said he did the procedure and I had it done in the doctor’s office. It was done through two small cuts. I went to work the next day. The only discomfort I remember was the itching from shaving and slight pain from the stitches. I went back 6 weeks later with a sample. I was told everything was fine.

This is not my usual topic of conversation, so I don’t have too many stories to tell. One man said, “I am not going to let anyone touch me down there”. Another second-hand quote is “I don’t want to lose my manliness” so his wife was fixed instead. About 10 years later (ca. 1980) I remember discussing vasectomy with someone. He was under the impression that vasectomy meant the end of orgasms.

No more trolls appeared to I guess it worked. Sex was improved because no more worries and it was more spontaneous. It was a lot simpler than many of the stories I have read. I have no regrets, and my sons have both grown to fine men!

Submitted by Ray