Student gives 'cutting' vasectomy lecture

Cole Hood, (senior, sociology), gave a lecture titled "All About Vasectomies" Wednesday in the HUB Conemaugh Room as a part of SexFest.

An audience of five gathered to hear the 28-year-old talk about the vasectomy he undertook. Hood had wanted the vasectomy when he was 18, but waited ten years because he did not really have any information about it.

When he finally got a hold of a doctor in the area, Hood was a little worried that he would not be able to get the procedure because of his age but the doctor only asked him why, gave him a physical, and then they scheduled the vasectomy.

"I didn't want to have kids," said Hood for his reasons to get the surgery. "And I really like sex, but don't like the bureaucracy that goes along with condoms and I don't want my partner to have to be on hormones."

Because Hood did not have insurance, the doctor gave him a valium to take before the surgery instead of sedation. Once Hood had arrived at the office, the doctor injected the base of his penis with a local anesthetic and once the area was numb, began the procedure.

The surgery involves cutting the tubes that lead from the testicles and release the sperm. The tubes are cut, cauterized and placed back inside the body.

The whole procedure lasted 5-10 minutes, the incision was so small that no stitches were needed and Hood was given only an adhesive bandage, he said.

Afterward, Hood said there was an incredible amount of swelling and pain like a pulled muscle. He also had to wear jock support and send semen samples to the doctor to make sure he was "shooting blanks."

Hood says that he wants to be as transparent about vasectomies as possible because it's really "not that big of a deal."

Stefania Demczak (senior, English) agreed, saying that men should be more educated on the topic of vasectomies because they are so much less intrusive than the tubal litigation that a woman would endure.

"Men need to learn that they are not losing any of their masculinity," Demczak said. "I don't want children and plan on adopting no matter what. I will ask my partner to get the surgery because I want to be in a monogamous relationship without having to freak out if my period is a day late."

Hood encourages anyone who has any questions about vasectomies to contact him. His e-mail address is gjsh@iup.edu