Vasectomy Books

My Husband and I read this book together. In the midts of reading it we had many discussions/debates as well as laughs. I found this book to be intersting, enlightening and entertaining. It's well writen and commical.

Joe discovered that raising children was more challenging, emotionally draining, and required a lot more skills than most jobs, businesses or careers. During his kids teenage years Joe says he chose stand up comedy (over Prozac) to keep his sanity. This book is a candid, insightful and a fun read. His compelling story should be required reading in school! A must read by anyone who is thinking of starting a family -or already has one. Joe's honesty is refreshing and relatable to those of us parents who know that all too often the long & expensive road from cradle to college, can be filled with surprises...and they are not always pleasant. Buy this book -laugh and learn -you will be glad you did! Give Me Back My Credit!

Loved the book and couldn't put it down. Don't let the title fool you--it's full of great advice to prepare you for having kids. Should be required reading for high school kids.

As a parent, I found each reason to have merit, full of insightful anologies and information splashed with humor. The authors shares his experience as a single parent in a truthful and inspiring manner. Well researched and supported, he often supports his observations and opinions with info from well respected sources and world figures. If this book could have a subtitle, I think, HUG A PARENT, they neeed love too, would be an excellent choice. However, because I cannot "unring the bell", I would love this author to write a sequel; 51 reasons to have children and the million little blessings they impart on our troubled souls. I would buy that book as well. Thanx Joe for a wonderful, well written peek into the lives of parents.

Vasectomy can cause chronic pain. The incidence varies and cannot truly be known because most men suffer in silence after this procedure. In some studies I read, ten percent of men regretted having the procedure for a variety of reasons. It seems likely that many men have little or no trouble after vasectomy, but clearly, some do. Don't get the procecure without reading about the possibility of chronic pain. I think that if men knew the roughly ten to thirty percent likelihood of some form of chronic pain, then fewer would choose this procedure.

Dr. Bowin's book is essential reading for any man considering a vasectomy or suffering from testicular pain following a vasectomy. A significant minority of men, at least 1 in 100, have the severest testicular pain after vasectomy. This testicular pain is long-term, possibly lifelong, absolutely continuous, and overwhelmingly severe! Who would ride in a bus that had a 1 in 100 chance of a major accident that would cripple everyone inside and destroy their lives with severe continuous lifelong pain? No one. Similarly no one would choose vasectomy or allow it to be performed on any loved one if properly informed about PVPS and its significant rate of incidence. Dr. Bowin's book summarizes the papers on post-vasectomy pain in the medical literature and contains a wealth of information. Dr. Bowin concludes that, because of the unacceptable complication of a high-rate of severe lifelong testicular pain following vasectomy, vasectomy should be discontinued. History will doubtlessly look back on vasectomy as a barbaric genital mutilation that crippled many men by placing them in severe, continuous, lifelong pain. Thank goodness lobotomy was discontinued because it was disabling many people. Vasectomy should follow for the same reason; severe continuous lifelong pain in the testes is a major disability that is extremely unpleasant and seemingly endless.

Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (7/07)

Safe and simple procedure? NOT!

Dr. Brad Bowins is a psychiatrist working in private practice as well as at the University of Toronto Health Service. Dr. Bowins has done extensive research into the material presented in his book and it is noted in many pages in the Bibliography section. When an author dedicates almost ten percent of his book to the background and research material presented in it (8 pages of a 98 page book), you know what he is saying is backed up with facts.

"Vasectomy" is well written and researched information, a manual on the subject of male sterilization. In his book, Brad begins by explaining the male anatomy and physiology. He starts off with a little background into the male reproductive system and all it entails: Testicles, Efferent Ducts & Epididymis, Vas Deferens and the Seminal Vesicles & Prostate. Dr. Bowins brings out little-known facts about this supposed "simple procedure" that maybe the Urologist will not tell his patient -- things like, it's not just a simple snipping of the testicles or such (as they would have us believe) but an actual removal of 10-15 millimeters of tissue! Dr. Bowins does a fine job of explaining the procedure and the different variations.

Among some of the other unknown facts are things like the testicles only produce a minor portion of the sperm content. There are other anatomical areas of the body that produce a higher percentage of the actual reproductive sperm than the testicles and these areas remain intact. But all this information is just leading up to the main focus of the book which is Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome or PVPS. Pain, that's right; the terrible feeling in the genitals many years after the "Band-aid Surgery." Dr. Bowins describes this as "The modern medical nightmare." PVPS is so often diagnosed by Urologists as being in the patients head, and not actual, or other unreal symptoms. But the fact of the matter (as brought out in Dr. Bowins book) is that it is real -- real to the extent that a surgeon will on occasion remove the testicle that is the cause of the pain. Again Dr. Bowins explains that when that is done, the other one (which may have also expressed a minor version of the pain) will begin to take center stage in the pain circus and eventually it will have to be removed also.

Shocking? Yes!
Informative? Yes!
Great book? Yes!

I gave Dr. Bowins' book an A+ and considered it an excellent read. The man utilizes some medical terms throughout "Vasectomy" which I had no problem with (I was an Air Force Medic). But to those of you that don't have knowledge of Latin, or a medical dictionary handy, Dr. Bowins explains what they mean. One must understand, Brad Bowins is a doctor and he does talk like one.

Although copywritten in 1972, this book may have been one of the first to notice links between vasectomy and long term complications in the immune system for example. I did find many statistics and surveys reported. One I found particularly interesting was a British family planning organization, The Simon Population Trust, found that 99% of the men who had been sterilized would recommend the operation even though 95% were dissatisfied with it. It followed that it was felt that there was a need for self justification to have done vasectomy with poor long term results by recruiting others and not telling them all the facts of the after affects. I would highly encourage taking the time to read this important early whistle blowing work.

I am a dentist. I was impressed by the credentials of the author. I was planning on getting a vasectomy until I read this book. The author quotes numerous articles that discuss medical problems after vasectomy. These include cancer, atherosclerosis, autoimmune diseases, allergies, etc. I personally verified several of the reference articles on Medline. The book is written so it can be understood by the layperson and it includes a medical glossary. I highly recommend it.

Vasectomy can cause chronic pain. The percentage of men known to suffer from this problem varies in the available post-vasectomy studies (2-30%). Many man suffer in silence. In one large study I read, 10% of men regretted the decision to have the procedure done. Many are not told of this prior to the procedure. Some men pursue a reversal which is costly and painful. Don't do it unless you are willing to take a lifelong risk with your sexual functioning and are aware of the substantial risk of chronic pain.

Had almost nothing about Post Vasectomy Pain Syndrome which was what I have and was hoping would be addressed in the book. Title is great, but content totoally lacked this most important subject matter. - what a shame...

I found this to be very informative and backed up some of the references to specific illnesses I had found on line from first hand accounts of complications. It is frighteneing the lack of "informed consent" that is evident with the long term effects of this often dismissed as "minor surgery". Generally, bruising, soreness and swelling are all the complications mentioned. I would highly reccomend this be read by every male and female spouse contemplating this life changing surgery being performed in reality to prevent a temporary fertility issue. Don't schedule an appointment without reading this first.

Men;Do yourself a favor make a small investment, by this book before its too late. Dr. Roberts pulls no punches, he tells you what very, very few Drs. with admit to. Yes, there are many complications,and the complications, if you are in the 2-15% that ends up with a problem, your LIFE will NEVER be the same.I wish I would have known now, about this book in 1989 or I never would have done it. Dr. Roberts has the balls to tell the truth, which will probable anger all the Urologists and other Drs.for letting the cat out of the bag. This procedure is a cash cow for for many a Dr. And if you go back to your Dr. with problems they LIE about what's wrong.Unfortunately, the cure for most of the problems is very expensive micro-surgery. I know because I've been there.

This book was published in 1993, fourteen years ago. It is very outdated (pre-Viagra.) Would you go to a doctor whose medical library was fourteen years old? I think not.

This book is everything one would need to know about sex, safe sex, and knowing the human anatomy. Men and women. This book would answer questions that one would be embarrass to ask. It has factual statistics, concrete studies, and plentiful resources to expand your world in the field of Sex. I paid $2.00 for this book and I wouldn't mind if a 10 year old child gets hold of this book, because it would only benefit that child to teach them about their body and life itself about sex.

This is a must-have book for couples and singles who are sexually active. I found this book very informative in a very direct way. It's like a having a sexual therapist right in front of you. The book shows each issue in alphabetical order so it's very easy to reach the information I need. At first I thought it's more like a reference book, but after reading more, I found this book very readable, lively, and full of, not just knowledge about sex, but also advice. It answers thousand questions that many people feel embarrassed to ask. This book is like a good sex, you'd better read it before having it.

Every person should have this book in their home. Men and women of all ages will benefit from using this information that has been so accurately and tastefully presented.

The book answers thousands of questions that many people are afraid or too embarassed to ask. Even though the book was written in the early 90's, it has up to date information on human sexuality and health issues. This great book covers everything from stress, hormones, potency, vasectomy, yeast infections, to performance and sex aids. It also has chapters on desire, the g-spot, homosexuality, std's hysterectomy, oral sex, orgasm, spermicides premature ejaculation, pregnancy, childbirth, puberty fantacies, dreams, cancer, castration, circumcision and much much more.

The book is packed with sound advise. I just gave my copy to my younger sister. She was amazed about all the answers she got from this great book. I highly recommend it to all families. It is well written and contains a great source of information.

While vasectomy may seem like a good idea at the time, warding off irresponsible, or trapping women and wives...often, life leads you to divorce, and eventually the desire to start a family again. After 2 failed (costly) vasovasectomies, we are still trying to decide why we made this decision. A wife with a history a "accidental "pregnancies was ultimately the cause and we will aspriate and continue to try to plan the first child in our family.
Freeze it, bank it and be glad it's there when you finally find the right person.

So many men came to my office, somewhat worried, and had their vasectomy. Afterwards, so many said, "If I had known it would be this easy, I would have had it long ago! This book is an effort to give men all the facts so they will get the vasectomy as soon as they need it, and not after one or two unwanted pregancies. Knowledge is power! Find out what you need to know before you need this important procedure that can really help your family stay strong. ...

The book is in the main about the author's views on testosterone replacement therapy, but just about mentions vasectomy in passing. It's fair to say that the vasectomy information reviewed is highly selective, in the main 15 plus years old, and contradicted by much newer and much better research. What information on vasectomy there is just so happens to fit in with the author's view on testosterone replacement therapy, which he just happens to practice. Coincidence???

Dr. Zaninovich does a great job of presenting the health risks, and also notes that many vasectomized men have no health problems to claim. The book provides excellent, reputable references- enough to suggest that there is another side to the story that the typical AMA doctor doesn't know or tell. Without going into my personal history- I recommend this book for any male who's thinking about getting snipped, or who already has. It provided more information than I could extract from 2 GPs and 2 specialists since 1984. The only reason I rated this book a 4 instead of 5 is that it couldn't give CONCLUSIVE answers. I don't fault the author for that- every male's body is different, and there are many conflicting (seemingly-reputable) studies.

If this book doen't convince you not to get a vas, then I will. I'm quoted in this book.e-mail me if you like.

I read this book from cover to cover this summer, when my husband and I were considering a vasectomy. Boy, am I glad I read this first!! We definitely decided it wasn't worth rushing into or treating as a simple, ordinary procedure. I'm still doing research, but wouldn't have even thought to do so, without this book.

I really liked the part of his book near the end, where he gives advice to the man who decides to go ahead with a vasectomy, learned from his own sad experience. e.g. to get checked out for any possible testicular infection you may not be aware of, because he had one that probably caused a lot of his complications to begin with. A simple antibiotic treatment could have saved him a lifetime of chronic pain thereafter.

I had no idea that post-vasectomy, sex and, worse, all of life could be painful for the man. That is definitely too high a price to pay for preventing pregnancy, in my book! Something the author wrote stayed in my mind, like "I would have worn 10 condoms [for birth control vs. the pain I'm living in constantly for the price of my vasectomy]!" Knowing how little my husband likes one single condom, I took that as a loud warning against the possible pain.

I took the author seriously because he wasn't bemoaning his "loss of manhood/virility" or anything like that (in fact, his fertility was restored when he had a reverse vasectomy to try to reduce his constant pain. It helped a little, but not completely). I disagree with another reviewer of this book, who said this book is a "scam" and the author's just out to make money, because what would be the point of that? The author stands nothing to gain; if anyone stands to gain, it's urologists who perform vasectomies without giving them enough careful attention beforehand, and not taking complaints of pain seriously afterwards!

I ran the book's assertions by a doctor friend of mine, and she said it was probably hogwash. I see, however, that there's another book on Amazon.com about the same kind of topic, written by a doctor, so I plan to read that and continue my researching.

I was shocked by the author's point that sperm aren't "absorbed into the body" as "they" say; rather, they enter the bloodstream and cause the immune system to malfunction/overwork. That makes sense to me, and is worth my consideration and research, to see whether it's true.

It was also enlightening to me that the "messing with" the delicate hormonal balance in a man's body, by the possible removal of one or both testicles to try to stop the chronic pain, can cause male menopause and other health problems that sounded serious.

I respect my body and my husband's body and the Creator of our delicate hormonal systems and everything else biological too much to rush into a vasectomy now. I think everyone considering a vasectomy should at least read this, or if not the whole book, the final recommendations for those determined to go ahead with it, in case they turn out to be the "1 in 100" who have complications with vasectomies. Why be horribly surprised by a lifetime of chronic pain, when it can possibly be prevented? Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Bought if for my husband, but didn't give it to him in the end. Sent it back for a refund. Very few pages, badly written and cleary the result of trying to write a book to make a profit as opposed to writing a book to share knowledge.

Complete scam.

My doctor told me that I would be back playing sports in two weeks to a month after the vasectomy. Its been two years and I still can't play, instead I take pain medication on a daily basis just so I can get around work at a sedentary job. I know a lot of people that haven't had long term problems; but I also have talked to some (although a small percentage) that do. The best anaology I have come up to understanding this pain is like getting a cramp in your calf; but instead its in your privates. If you have any doubt whether this is true; just go to Google Search Engine and do a search on "vasectomy" "testicle pain." I will highly discourage my sons from having a vasectomy because there is that chance they could end up one of the unlucky few, like their father. The urologists like to dismiss the subject because they can make $1200 bucks in a 10 minute operation (a real cash cow.) This is something I had never heard about until it happened to me (too late.)

Dissapointing in a word.

The problem I had is "Who is this aimed at?". The author seems to be trying to target men who might want to have a vasectomy to dissuade them, and those who have had a vasectomy to try and persuade them that all the medical problems they now have or will have in the future are totally down to vasectomy and nothing else. As a reader I felt it only succeeded in alienating both potential audiences.

I was hoping to read some new, and hitherto undiscovered information, but it's purely a product to fit in with the already over-stocked "I've had a vasectomy and it ruined my life" genre. It's poorly written, and I suspect borrows heavily from the existing products of the genre. When I looked for the source of quotations, there usually weren't any, or the quotation was sourced from other similar essays and not anything remotely medical. Although some medical quotes are included, they are rather obscure, and you get the feeling that they *might* be not verbatim because of the use of ......... part way through the quotes.

The book relies heavily on a supposed conspiracy between the various medical authorities and practitioners worldwide to hush-up information in order to protect their lucrative income from doing vasectomies. Alhough information is sometimes scant when a vested interest exists, the conspiracy theme struck me as ridiculous. A quick web search reveals that vasectomy has a history going back nearly 200 years. I cannot see how it's possible to keep the tin lid on that type of information for nearly two centuries.

The author quotes figures of 30% plus men who undergo vasectomy having serious complications - where that figure comes from is unclear. I got to wondering if it is the case that 30% plus men have these problems, there must be a great deal of men suffering out there very quietly. I also got to wondering "If this is true, why aren't there any pressure groups, and why do we never hear the odd news item or article on this?"

Yes, there is a risk to any medical procedure elective or not. Dentistry carries a risk, childbirth carries a risk so does sterilisation. The author is correct that when men and women go to medical practitioners to discuss being sterilised the discussion or potential risks may vary in quality, and this is something for the authorites to address. However, it's not exactly hard to find quality sources for anything and everything medical on the internet. There are also some good books available - this isn't one of them.

Buy it if you love conspiracy theories, otherwise don't bother.