The nurse prepares a client for discharge following a vasectomy. The client asks, "When can I have sexual intercourse with my wife without using a condom?" What is the best response by the nurse?

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A vasectomy is a surgical procedure performed for permanent male sterilization. During the procedure, the vasa deferentia (ie, ducts that carry sperm from the testicles to the urethra) are cut and sealed, preventing sperm from entering the ejaculate. The vasa deferentia are severed in the scrotum at the site before the seminal vesicles and prostate. As a result, the procedure should not affect the ability to ejaculate, amount and consistency of ejaculatory fluid, or other physiological mechanisms (eg, hormone production, erection, orgasm). Following a vasectomy, sperm continue to be produced but are absorbed by the body. Following the procedure, it can take several months for the remaining sperm to be ejaculated or absorbed. Alternative birth control should be used until the health care provider confirms that semen samples taken at a follow-up appointment are free of sperm; otherwise, pregnancy can occur (Option D). (Options A, B, and C) The length of time and number of ejaculations necessary to evacuate remaining sperm will vary. The only way to ascertain that the ejaculate no longer contains sperm is to test a client's semen samples. Educational objective: To prevent an unwanted pregnancy following a vasectomy, alternative methods of birth control should be used until semen samples are found to be free of sperm.

The Nurse Prepares a Client for Discharge Following a Vasectomy