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Comment by keenreed | Hacker News Reader

》There was a pesticide used in the harvesting of pineapple; it’s called dibromochloropropane. [Better known as DBCP, it was banned from use in the U.S. in 1979.] That pesticide actually totally wiped out men’s sperm. Women were comparing notes, and they were saying that they couldn't get pregnant—the wives of these men. They tested the men, and they had zero sperm. And you can’t get more dramatic than that. But what they found was that when they stopped using the product, in a couple of months, their sperm count returned.

Maybe it could be used as a contraceptive.

Also many men now have vasectomy in their 20ties. It is recommended to keep it a secret, not sure how studies correct for that.

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>> Also many men now have vasectomy in their 20ties. It is recommended to keep it a secret,

Anecdotes are not data, but I had a vasectomy in my early 30's. We didn't want more kids, and the wife informed me she wasn't planning on taking the pill for the next 25 years.

I wasn't told to "keep it a secret" but equally it wasn't something other men spoke about, so there was some reluctance (on my part) to do it. I, and some others in my cohort of a similar age, though decided to not hide it, but be honest - yes I'm going to be out of work on Tuesday, going for a vasectomy. It did encourage a few folk to come talk about it when it was topical for them.

Men (naturally) have a fear of anything that interferes with their privates. But we do need to be more honest about it - vasectomies are ultimately cheaper, less invasive, and have fewer side effects than other forms of contraception. Yes it is permanent - but if you're ready for that then I encourage you to ask around - you may find others around you have done it, and that it's really not a big deal.

And if you have had it, well, perhaps it's not really something that needs to be a secret. (Especially if you are the first in your social circle to do it.)

> Yes it is permanent

Vasectomy are reversible.

They can be early on, sperm can also be extracted for IVF but for the most part it’s not considered a reversible procedure hence why already having kids is usually a requirement for getting one.

There is no guarantee that a reversal will be successful and the success rate drops sharply with time.

I hope for your sake you didn’t get one thinking that it can be reversed.

Thanks for the advice and genuine concern. I stand corrected, mine was a theoretical knowledge and no I did not take any decision based upon that (incomplete) knowledge.

I got told that there was a 60% chance that a reversal would be successful. They didn't say anything about it being less likely with time.

So yes... maybe.

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