Six to eight weeks after the procedure, a semen sample will be tested for sperm. This is done to make sure the procedure was effective and that no sperm is present. In some cases, it may take longer than 8 weeks for the semen to have no sperm in it, but by 3 months, the semen should be completely free of sperm.
While television shows often show a man being led to a small room and given pornography in order to produce a semen sample for testing, this is not the case. In most circumstances, the container for the semen is sent home so the sample can be collected in the privacy of the home. The sample must then be taken to the lab for testing within one hour of collection. It is important to know the hours of the lab or doctor’s office, so it will be open and able to accept the sample for testing immediately.
When collecting a semen sample, it is important that the semen not come in contact with spermacide, a type of birth control that kills sperm. It is often present in condoms and other types of contraceptives.
Once the sample is taken to the lab, it will be studied under a microscope. When the sample is completely free of sperm, the surgery is considered effective and birth control is no longer needed to prevent pregnancy.
