"It's like having a wisdom tooth pulled." A Belarusian tells how he had a vasectomy in Poland
In his fourth year of living in Poland, Yagor, a Belarusian, decided to undergo a vasectomy. He was driven to this decision by exhaustion from his youngest child and the fear of an unplanned pregnancy in a country where abortions are severely restricted. He told the Most publication how he booked the procedure in Białystok, why the doctor didn't try to dissuade him, and what "souvenir" he received after the operation.
Illustrative photo. Photo: pixabay.com/ Maximilianovich
Vasectomy is a male sterilization operation. During the procedure, the vas deferens are blocked or cut, preventing sperm from entering the seminal fluid. After a vasectomy, a man can ejaculate, but there should be no sperm in the fluid.
"The youngest rascal is too much of a nerve-wracker"
Yagor has children aged 4 and 11. He first thought about a vasectomy, a male sterilization operation, two years ago. But then he didn't go through with it: he thought such operations were only done in Warsaw. Recently, the Belarusian found a clinic in Białystok, the city where he currently lives.
"The youngest rascal doesn't give me any free time and is too much of a nerve-wracker. My eye twitches at the possibility of more such rascals," Yagor explains the main reason for his vasectomy.
An additional argument in favor of vasectomy was the fact that it is very difficult for women to have an abortion in Poland. After discussing it with his wife, the couple came to the mutual conclusion that the operation should be done.
"It's like having a wisdom tooth pulled: life will be simpler without it. Why bother extra? Let's go," the man describes his emotions before the operation.
"The doctor gave me a fist bump"
Booking the procedure was not difficult for Yagor. On one of the online platforms, the Belarusian chose the right doctor and an appropriate date. At the time of booking, the man did not have Polish citizenship, but his PESEL number was sufficient.
After that, clinic staff contacted the man and asked him to have a blood coagulation test. Yagor paid 120 PLN (about $32) for this service.
With the test results already in hand, he came for his appointment with the doctor. The Belarusian liked that he encountered neither judgment nor requests to rethink his decision from the doctor.
"The doctor started the conversation in a maximally friendly way — with 'Siema' (colloquial 'hello' in Polish. — Most) and gave me a fist bump. The communication was meant to break the ice and avoid intense tension," says Yagor.
According to the man, the "adequacy check" lasted about three minutes. Yagor's documents were checked, and the number of children he had was clarified.
"When I talked to the doctor, there wasn't a second when he tried to dissuade me. When I said how many children I have, he didn't react at all: he continued filling out the document as before. Two means two [children]," the Belarusian shrugs.
Before the operation, the man had an ultrasound to check for any deviations or anomalies, and he was advised to drink more water.
"Went in, done, and that's it — relax"
The man admits that he felt a slight nervousness before the operation. According to him, it can be compared to going to the dentist. The operation itself is performed under local anesthesia. For Yagor, the sensation reminded him of getting a tattoo.
"They make a small incision, then you feel a slight tingling. Went in, done, and that's it — relax."
The procedure took about half an hour and cost the man 2,500 PLN (about $665). As he left, Yagor was advised to monitor his water balance. From the moment he booked with the doctor to leaving the office after the vasectomy, three days passed for the Belarusian.
"Absolutely down-to-earth, friendly attitude," Yagor describes his interaction with the medical staff after the operation.
As a keepsake, the Belarusian was given a sticker with an image of a penis and the caption "Brave Patient."
"Just like children are praised after a doctor's visit — it's funny. A micro-achievement," Yagor jokes.
"The first day I walked like a little penguin"
Yagor underwent the operation four days ago.
"The first day I walked like a little penguin. It felt like rolling on wooden legs. Otherwise — there are no physiological deviations," the man describes his condition.
For the next week, the Belarusian will have to avoid physical exertion: no lifting heavy bags and no going to the gym. The man also needs to maintain hygiene and carefully treat the surgical area.
To prevent patients from getting confused about the sequence of actions, they are given a small booklet with instructions upon departure. Yagor was pleased that the recommendations were written in clear language.
In two weeks, the Belarusian will need to provide a sperm analysis.
"To check if any of these 'white guys' are left in the fluid," the man explains.
He will also have to pay for this option, but he has not yet found out the cost of the procedure.
"If you put in the effort, it's reversible"
Even before the operation, Yagor knew that a vasectomy could be either reversible, meaning men can regain fertility later, or irreversible. But the Belarusian himself did not delve into the details.
"Apparently, the latest options [for vasectomy] are reversible. I know that such a possibility exists. If you really want to and put in the effort, you can [reverse everything]," the man says.
Nevertheless, Yagor sees no point in regaining his fertility in the foreseeable future.
"It's good that there's an opportunity to eliminate spontaneous troubles that can occur in adulthood," the Belarusian concludes.