Whether vasectomy affects male sexual function and whether depression and anxiety occur after the procedure？

Abstract

A considerable number of male patients express apprehension regarding the potential correlation between vasectomy and sexual functionality, and worrying about affecting the couple's quality of sexual life and causing anxiety and depression. We investigated 306 male patients who sought vasectomy surgery between March 2016 and February 2022 at the Reproductive Women and Children's Hospital affiliated with Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We assessed patients' postoperative erectile status, ejaculation status, and depression and anxiety mainly by means of rating scales, including International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), the Chinese Index of Premature Ejaculation (CIPE), Zungs Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Descriptive statistics (t-test, analysis of variance, rank sum test) detail the effect of vasectomy on IIEF-5, CIPE, SDS, SAS in men of different age groups.The results of age analysis showed that IIEF-5 and CIPE scores improved before and after ligation in different age groups (P < 0.05), with IIEF-5 scores improving the most in the age range of 30–39 years (205, 66.34%) (P = 0.00);Vasectomy does not affect male sexual satisfaction or erections, increases male patients' sexual confidence and desire, and does not cause or increase anxiety or depressive symptoms in men.