Considered a safe operation, a vasectomy is typically a short procedure (under two hours) done right in the doctor’s office or as an outpatient surgery under local anesthesia.
Like any other surgery, having a vasectomy does come with associated risks including infections, blood clots, long-term testicular pain and painful lumps in the scrotum (hematomas). The new findings on prostate cancer bring to light another potential risk to consider.
So, Does Getting A Vasectomy Cause Prostate Cancer?
The short answer is no. There isn’t an exact known causes of prostate cancer, but there are risk factors, such as being African American or of African descent.
Scientists behind the Harvard study emphasize that their findings only establish a statistical link – and not a cause – between the disease and vasectomies. ‘The results support the hypothesis that vasectomy is associated with an increased risk of advanced or lethal prostate cancer,” said study co-author Lorelei Mucci, associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health.
Additional urgent investigation is needed to find out why men who had the procedure showed increased cancer risk.
In the meantime, if a trip to get snipped just got knocked waaaay down on your list of things to consider, condoms are still a 98% effective option. Use them EACH AND EVERY encounter.
Does Getting A Vasectomy Cause Prostate Cancer? was originally published on blackdoctor.org
