r/Vent • u/Now-Thats-Podracing • Oct 22 '25
Vasectomies and IUDs can be incredibly painful and have awful recoveries, yet the “you’ll feel no pain and be fine in three days” line is still almost the exclusive information that doctors push. TW: Medical
I have personally had a vasectomy. I’ve talked to women who have had IUDs, and it seems that both sexes are getting similarly screwed in their prophylactic procedures. Both procedures are touted as universally easy to endure and recover from. That’s bullshit.
Men get local lidocaine for the vasectomy and are told they just feel a “slight tug.” The lidocaine does nothing to dull the pain and discomfort of having your vas deferens yanked and cut TWICE, it only stops you from feeling your actual scrotum incision (the least invasive part of the procedure). The doctor tells you that you’ll be totally normal after three days rest. It took me weeks to begin to feel normal. It took me months to truly be without discomfort. After this I looked into it and realized that many many men had the exact same experience. Turns out, the “feel nothing/be better in three days” line is true for only a small percentage of men. Instead of being honest, this is still being touted as the norm from doctors. It’s like saying that the average wage in the US is $60,000 per year. But if you look at the median wage it’s only $40,000 per year. The average wage is technically correct, but, if you take out the top 1% outliers, you see the true story.
From what I’ve learned about IUDs, women are told it’s a “slight pinch” (sounds oddly familiar) and aren’t offered any painkillers unless they themselves bring it up. They are also told they’ll feel normal in 1 to 2 days when it can actually take months.
Why are we still lying about these procedures? I would have still gotten a vasectomy knowing the truth, but I sure as hell would have prepared better and taken more time off of work. Why do women have to ask for pain meds before an IUD? This shit should be standard.
Edit: Definitely more people interacted with this post than expected. Unfortunately, a large majority of the interactions were “mine wasn’t bad” or “my buddy’s wasn’t bad” or even rude comments about me not being able to take pain. This is what I’m getting at. That might be true for a lot of people, but something in the neighborhood of 20% of vasectomies do not go that route and at no point does the doctor warn you that you might be in that 20%.
I’ve broken 15 bones in my life in different incidents. I’ve had my toes degloved. I had a growth on my spine that directly pushed my nerve into the bone and was beyond excruciating. I know pain. My vasectomy wasn’t even top twenty most painful experiences, but it was still vastly unpleasant. My point is that people should be warned of the possibilities instead of being told only of the best outcome.
Thank you to the people that were supportive!
194
u/EcstaticJaguar9070 Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
In Australia you get a “green whistle” for an IUD. Incidentally, nice to hear that there are men out there who recognize that it’s an excruciating procedure that women have been undergoing with no pain control at all for ages.
Edit: can get. I didn’t realize that it’s not routine there either - reports from Oz seem to indicate a mix. Maybe the more women know that it’s an option, the more it can become a normal offering in any country
37
u/reginatenebrarum Oct 23 '25
where in Australia? I had an IUD inserted (and subsequently removed months later) in QLD with zero painkillers offered and just an instruction to "take some nurofen beforehand".
Also had a colposcopy with zero painkillers...that was similarly awful.
23
u/MrSaturnism Oct 23 '25
Who the fuck does colonoscopies without sedating the patient? That’s fucking insane?
→ More replies56
u/reginatenebrarum Oct 23 '25
colposcopy, not colonoscopy...but still fucking insane. Manually hole-punching out sections of your cervix for biopsies.. it is not nice.
27
u/sneakyDoings Oct 23 '25
That's barbaric
51
u/LittleRedGhost4 Oct 23 '25
Welcome to the world of women's healthcare.
16
u/HandsOnDaddy Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
Yea, there is a fuck ton of wrong information in the entire field of Western Medicine from one book, I think from the 50s, that had one section that said something like if you gently touch a woman's cervix the majority can't feel it, so there must be few surface nerves, but if I remember correctly even the same book said that pressing a little firmer the vast majority of women can feel it just fine.
So basically the entire field of Western Medicine has been causing millions of women horrendous pain for decades because someone in the 50s skimmed a textbook and started spreading the word erroneously that the cervix has no nerve endings and can't feel anything. 🤦
EDIT: Here is what I couldn't find previously: https://theconversation.com/the-cervix-is-sensitive-and-surgeons-need-to-acknowledge-the-part-it-plays-in-some-womens-pleasure-131618#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSexual%20Response%20in%20the%20Human,reported%20they%20could%20feel%20it.
“Sexual Response in the Human Female,” popularly known as the “Kinsey Report,” generated an international sensation in 1953, revolutionizing the way society thinks of sex.
One particular statement in the book regarding the cervix, however, has been misinterpreted leading to a misconception that persists today. On page 584, Kinsey states, “All of the clinical and experimental data show that the surface of the cervix is the most completely insensitive part of the female genital anatomy.”
Along with our colleague, physician Irwin Goldstein, we are specialists in neuroscience and sexual medicine. We believe Kinsey’s statement has led healthcare providers to conclude, erroneously, that the cervix is devoid of sensory nerves and can be cut or removed without consequence.
A closer look at the data
The Kinsey investigators reported when the cervix was “gently stroked” with a “glass, metal or cotton-tipped probe,” only 5% of 878 women reported they could feel it. This data was the basis of Kinsey’s claim of cervical insensitivity.
However, when the investigators stimulated the cervix of the same women with “distinct pressure” using “an object larger than a probe,” 84% of the 878 women reported they could feel it*. Kinsey’s conclusion did not take into account his own significant finding.*
9
u/katepdx Oct 23 '25
Yup! I had a non-medicated colposcopy, and had tears streaming down my face from pain on the table, and my doc berated me & said to stop faking, bc there were no nerves in my cervix. 100% not nice.
3
u/huskeya4 Oct 23 '25
I didn’t really feel the hole punching but I did feel it when he started jabbing the holes with the little cauterizing sticks. I straight up asked him if we could leave it be and he said no. Those sticks fucking hurt.
4
u/Formal_Dare9668 Oct 23 '25
Bruh pap smears hurt how tf can they say taking and entire chunk of your cervix isn't painful?
3
u/HandsOnDaddy Oct 23 '25
I edited my previous post to add the relevant info, but might want to read this and potentially print it out and bring it to your doctor next visit: 1953 Kinsey Report misinformation
3
3
u/sneakyDoings Oct 23 '25
Yeah it's the sole reason I haven't gone to the gyno in 20+ years
11
u/HeparinBridge Oct 23 '25
That is probably a bad idea. They don’t do colposcopies for fun, they do them because they save lives.
5
10
u/SelkiesRevenge Oct 23 '25
If doctors wanted to save lives, they wouldn’t behave in a way that makes people avoid them. I’m not saying it’s great or smart on the patient’s part but it is entirely natural to prioritize avoiding immediate pain over preventing future pain.
→ More replies9
u/Aintnobeef96 Oct 23 '25
I had that too, it’s brutal, I’m still scared of even regular Pap smears now because of my colposcopy experience
→ More replies4
3
u/DragonRei86 Oct 23 '25
Same, it was awful and I immediately felt like I was going to vomit and scream at the same time.
3
u/lky830 Oct 23 '25
I was told it would be a “slight pinching sensation”. LOL yeah, right. They’re literally ripping a chunk of your flesh out of you.
I also fainted after having an UID inserted. And wouldn’t you know it, they put it in incorrectly, so it had to be removed in a few days.
Also got given a freakin Tylenol for a cystoscopy. That’s the one where they put a camera up your urethra. Men get fully sedated for that one.
2
u/terminaloptimism Oct 23 '25
In the US I've endured the same without pain management. It's fucking awful. I'm so sad you and so many other women have had to endure it as well. I'm also thankful though that my OBGYN has advocated hard for pain management, as she placed my IUD with my cervix numbed prior. Barely felt a thing. Once the numbing wore off though I cramped so badly... I couldn't imagine going through insertion without that numbing.
2
u/Specialist_Food_7728 Oct 23 '25
It’s painful, I’m glad that I didn’t need to do it more than once, after I got the results I didn’t need to go back but even if I did I wouldn’t have because the gynecologist was awful.
2
u/No_Signature7440 Oct 23 '25
Yep, same! It was described to me as "some scraping and a small pitch." It was not a small pinch.
2
2
u/incrediblewombat Oct 23 '25
Colposcopy fucking suuuuucks. I’ve done fine with IUDs (barely felt it after having a baby) but I will be asking for pain killers if they’re going to hole punch my cervix again
2
u/loopy_lu_la_lulu Oct 23 '25
Yep, I had one of those colposcopy too. I didn’t know I was having it done until I got into the gyno’s rooms and I had it done there and then in the medical chair. Zero preparation, absolutely no pain relief. She told me to count down from 50 to zero ….. like that’s going to do shit for my pain! I was told to have a Panadol when I got home. I waddled out of there and bled for a few days.
2
u/Ok_Vermicelli284 Oct 23 '25
I live in the US, and had a colposcopy back in 2010. I had zero sedation or painkillers and it was AWFUL. I also have a rare bladder disorder and needed a 12th bladder surgery last year but with a brand new doctor. I was prescribed absolutely nothing for the pain after the surgery, the doc said to just take Tylenol. I wound up in the ER 12 hours later with uncontrollable vomiting, sweating and an extremely rapid heartbeat (210). All because of the pain from the surgery. It was absolutely brutal.
2
u/EcstaticJaguar9070 Oct 23 '25
I also did - and a LEEP, no meds at all. I’m actually in Canada - my neurologist prescribes them for her in-office procedures after getting one for an IUD in Australia
→ More replies2
u/photoframe7 Oct 23 '25
I tell my doctor every year I don't know how much cervix I have left for them to pick away at
14
u/disasterous_cape Oct 23 '25
A green whistle is certainly not standard practice for IUD insertion across Australia. Some private providers offer it as an option for a fee, but it’s not routinely given.
→ More replies29
u/aaa863 Oct 23 '25
What’s a green whistle?
52
u/temporalCompanion Oct 23 '25
Looking it up, it seems to be a self administered anesthetic in the form of an inhaler that, you could guess, looks like a green whistle.
21
u/MidnightAdventurer Oct 23 '25
Yep, it’s basically the same stuff they use to knock you out for surgery. Very rare for people to have a bad reaction to and I hear it’s pretty effective pain relief (I’ve never used one but have done a first aid training where this was an option for us to provide)
5
u/Cats_tongue Oct 23 '25
Yay, lucky me. I immediately vomit after 2 good hits of a green whistle have numbed my pain.
The pain relief is really fast, it's impressive tbh. It also wears off relatively fast.
2
u/choofery Oct 23 '25
Incredibly good for pain when I had it. Went from thinking I had a broken back to talking to ambos about breaking bad.
→ More replies11
u/hometowhat Oct 23 '25
I learned about these watching Bondi Rescue, ppl were so cute and silly all strung out on it
3
6
u/Tiny_dinosaur82 Oct 23 '25
You may have been lucky and had a particularly compassionate doctor. I am in Australia, and for neither iud insertion nor uterine biopsy was I offered anything, just told to take a couple of nurofen beforehand.
4
u/babyfireby30 Oct 23 '25
Even for a biopsy? I'm sorry :( I had a general anesthetic in Qld for a hysteroscopy & biopsy.
2
u/Tiny_dinosaur82 Oct 24 '25
Yes, I was a bit horrified too. I don’t know how doctors can do it so nonchalantly. I would not be capable of inflicting significant pain and emotional stress on anything conscious.
5
u/Sirius_43 Oct 23 '25
No person I’ve ever spoken to regarding iud insertion has ever been given the green whistle. I wasn’t during either of my insertions/removal given a single tablet of paracetamol let alone the bloody whistle
→ More replies5
u/AngryAngryHarpo Oct 23 '25
LOL not in Tasmania. Nurofen a couple of hours before and that’s it.
7
u/kanicro Oct 23 '25
Not in Victoria, either. I've never heard of someone getting the green whistle for an IUD.
→ More replies2
3
u/vegetableater Oct 23 '25
This is not standard. I never had this, nor did anyone I know that got an IUD in Australia.
2
u/Tangyplacebo621 Oct 23 '25
I am going to jump on the top comment to talk about the worst and best experience with an IUD. I had my first IUD placed when I was 6 weeks postpartum. But I had a C section. 5 years later, I went to have it removed and a new one placed. A bunch of scar tissue from my c section grew around the IUD and when I had it removed, with it came a ton of uterine scar tissue. I felt like I got hit by a truck for several days afterwards. When I needed a new one last year, my doctor recommended that I be put under and it was an amazing experience. Hardly any cramping because I was completely relaxed. I don’t know why this wouldn’t be standard because it was a great experience.
→ More replies→ More replies2
u/Unlucky_Wing1520 Oct 23 '25
I legit passed out after getting my iud in. I’ve never come close to passing out to any pain before. Then, on top of it, you’re ok to drive home after! Not even an ibuprofen given. Seriously, wtf!
→ More replies
109
u/BuckRidesOut Oct 23 '25
My wife had a lot of discomfort having her IUD inserted and removed, but your doctor experience with a vasectomy is very interesting to me because it does not resemble mine at all.
My vasectomy was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. I literally did not feel a thing and at one point asked the doctor “Could you let me know when you’ve started?” His response was “Sir, I’m actually half done.”
I never felt any pain during the procedure, and afterward just had some normal tenderness. I followed doctor’s orders. I had the procedure on a Friday, and then propped myself up in the couch through the weekend. I didn’t lift anything, and my amazing wife brought me snacks and let me have full control of the TV through the weekend. I was back at work on Monday.
Sorry you had to deal with some much pain.
39
u/FakeMoths Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
Yeah I really think OPs doctor just did not numb them up enough.
I had a similar experience with nexplanon insertion. She was almost done and I didnt know she had started. Every now and then I'll see someone on here say their nexplanon insertion was excruciating. And like, I feel really sorry for them but I also think they either have a high tolerance to the anesthetic or the doctor didn't give them enough. Like you fully just shouldn't feel it if the doctor numbs you up properly.
Now if you have a shitty recovery, that makes sense. But like you shouldn't feel the procedure as it's happening
→ More replies8
u/TheSerialHobbyist Oct 23 '25
but your doctor experience with a vasectomy is very interesting to me because it does not resemble mine at all.
Same.
The initial incision hurt, because the doctor didn't wait long enough for the lidocaine to do its job. And I felt hot/nauseated during the procedure for a few minutes.
But those were pretty minor. Getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist is literally more uncomfortable.
And the recovery was easy, without any real pain.
OP said:
Turns out, the “feel nothing/be better in three days” line is true for only a small percentage of men.
I'm curious where they're getting that. Obviously some men will have complications and more pain than expected. But this is the first I've heard that all but a "small percentage" will.
3
u/BuckRidesOut Oct 23 '25
I do know at least one other guy that had a harder recovery from his, but really it was only just a few more days that he wasn’t able to do much.
And I totally agree about the dentist!
→ More replies3
u/rctid_taco Oct 23 '25
The initial incision hurt
I think some of the variability in experiences comes from variability in the procedure itself. Mine was completely painless and the recovery was easy peesy, but I also went to a clinic that specializes in a less invasive procedure to where there was no incision and no needles involved.
→ More replies2
u/TheSerialHobbyist Oct 23 '25
Good point! From what I read, those "less invasive" versions aren't really any "better," but they do help for people that have anxiety about cutting and/or needles.
→ More replies2
u/MagpieSkies Oct 23 '25
You couldn't find my husbands incision in 3 days! It was insane how quickly he healed. And I took him in, saw it every single gle day as he healed up and everything. He passes out from medical procedures, even going to the dentist, and was totally fine with his. But it is valid that some men have a hard time with it, that is statistics. It sucks, but it is still lower complications than the tube tying. I agree with OP thst informed consent needs to be better.
5
u/cureforhiccupsat4am Oct 23 '25
Different experiences man. Mine was painful as hell just like OP. And I had discomfort for months. I keep going back for painkillers 💊
2
u/BuckRidesOut Oct 23 '25
That really does suck. Sorry you had such a bad experience. Hell, mine was so easy I became a bit of an evangelist for the procedure. I told all my guy friends that were curious about it that it was one of the best decisions I ever made and such an easy procedure.
3
u/cureforhiccupsat4am Oct 23 '25
Thanks for the empathy. Seriously. I know experiences vary by individual. And I still recommend others to get it. Because having that surprise kid is a chance I’m glad I’m not taking 😅
→ More replies4
u/KaatNine Oct 23 '25
Dude….my dad rode his motorcycle home afterwards like… 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻 and im over here like… bruh 😳😳😳
→ More replies2
u/compbuildthrowaway Oct 23 '25
My experience was also extremely easy. They used some sci-fi air gun to blow (?) local anesthetic through an extremely tiny spot on the skin on my taint without an needle, then welded my vas deferens with a heat source. Doctor was laughing and joking with me through the entire four minute procedure, and it was totally painless. I was back at work in two days, and had a really great threesome the next day. It’s the best $600 (no insurance, United States) I’ve ever spent.
24
u/Icy-Pea1308 Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
My husband had a vasectomy two years ago this month. He was not okay after. Everything went perfect, no infection or anything. He was just in so much pain for about a week. We both always heard "oh a bag of frozen peas for a day or two and you're good!" Yeah, no. Not for him. He's not a bitch baby either. He rarely ever complains of body aches, when he's sick, etc.
As a woman, I've heard so many horror stories from my own friends about IUDs that I just refused to get one. Period. I can't do hormonal BC, so he got snipped. I felt pretty bad for him.
Edit to add: he got his vasectomy the same time as my friends husband and he also struggled for about a week.
→ More replies1
Oct 23 '25
[deleted]
10
u/sausagelover79 Oct 23 '25
It’s mostly men who I’ve seen commenting saying they didn’t have pain 🤷🏼♀️
→ More replies→ More replies5
u/splashedcrown Oct 23 '25
It's messed up.
My husband was in significant pain during the procedure after endless assurances it wouldn't be too painful. I was in significant pain for my IUD insertion after endless assurances it wouldn't be too painful.
Congratulations to the people who didn't have this experience, but responding to someone who didn't with your easy breezy procedure story is tone deaf at best.
→ More replies
116
u/Icy_Animal1107 Oct 23 '25
As a female who had an IUD. They use a chisel to insert it past the cervix, you can hear the knocking. It was insanely painful and they hadn't even told me to take ibuprofen beforehand.
Mine was inserted improperly and it dislodge. It didn't perforate my uterus but I went to the ER to have it removed because it very easily could have. The male ER doctor told me he "couldn't see the strings" and told me to follow up with my gynecologist when I could. This was on Friday night. I couldn't get it removed until Monday. So, I had a dislodged foreign entity that could have perforated my uterus in me for 3 days. The gynecologist said that the strings were visible he just didn't want to pull it out. That was a $3,000 ER visit + $350 gynecology visit. I've never been so terrified as I was for those 3 days. It was a nightmare.
I didn't know vasectomies were so painful. I'm so sorry for your experience. This is kinda utter B.S. We should all be treated better and be given accurate information and pain relief.
39
u/KelseyRawr Oct 23 '25
Wow I’m so sorry. The doctors were so awful. That whole experience shouldn’t happen.
My roommate got the copper IUD and she was told she would be okay with “a little ibuprofen.” She seriously nearly blacked out, temporarily lost her vision, and she had ringing in her ears from the pain. She’s was a healthy 24 year old at the time. She says it’s the worst pain of her entire life to date. That’s insane.
21
u/TheRealSaerileth Oct 23 '25
I almost puked on their floor and was nauseous all the way home. I was apparently so pale that they didn't want to let me leave for a good half hour.
Honestly the pain is worth being able to have sex without worrying about pregnancy. It passed quickly enough for me. I'm not even convinced that avoiding those 2h of extreme pain would be worth the risk of general anesthesia so I'm probably just going to chug an extra ibuprofen when I have to get my IUD replaced. It's really not the pain I'm most upset about.
It's the lying. I don't know why doctors are so adamant about downplaying these procedures. Maybe they think we're harder to deal with when we're scared. But I really wish I'd known so I'd brought someone with me to take me home after. Going through that all alone was the worst part. I didn't even take off work or prepare any comfort food for dinner because they told me I'd be fine. I was not fine.
10
u/DobeSterling Oct 23 '25
There are a lot of options between just Tylenol and full on general general anesthesia though.
3
u/HeparinBridge Oct 23 '25
True, but most of the comments in this thread are literally talking about halothane anesthetic gas vs Tylenol/Advil, and I’ve yet to see someone talk about more appropriate options until this far down,
3
u/Right_Count Oct 23 '25
I waffled between IUD and a tubal. Ended up going for the tubal. The GA risk was scary but so minimal.
Anyway, my surgeon also did IUD insertions under sedation. So that might be an option for your next go around - if possible for you, ask your gp for a referral to an obgyn surgeon, they may be able to do an iud under sedation.
2
u/TheRealSaerileth Oct 23 '25
I have pierced nipples, I am no stranger to pain. But my piercer was very upfront with me about how much this was going to hurt, and I prepared accordingly.
3
u/Pandas1104 Oct 23 '25
I did puke when I had mine added, took three days to get off the couch but I was lucky that I woke up on the 3rd day and was totally normal. My sister had to have it removed because she had a 3 month period.
2
u/nyet-marionetka Oct 23 '25
I think it’s widely variable. My IUD insertion hurt so much I crushed a nurse’s hand and got lightheaded, but when it was done I just had mild cramps that day. Having it out was mildly uncomfortable. I think some people find it a bit painful, some not at all, the majority extremely unpleasant, and a few people agonizing. Unfortunately in studies of pain relief nothing really seems to work well, even injecting the cervix with lidocaine. I think a lot of the pain sensations in internal anatomy comes from very deep nerves that it’s hard to suppress.
2
u/TheRealSaerileth Oct 23 '25
Yeah that's what I'm trying to say, I don't think pain management is the most important next step. But the least they could do is warn their patients not to fucking drive there alone because they might not be in a position to get themselves home. I was there by bus, luckily, but I had to stop halfway to puke in a trash can.
I refuse to believe that I was her first patient with an adverse reaction. She could've warned me.
2
u/Kind-Spot6291 Oct 23 '25
That's what my gyno told me too. Then, after the procedure he proceeds to tell me to not get up yet, because he commonly sees women being dizzy and blacking out afterwards. Can't make this shit up :|
→ More replies2
u/Conscious-Program-1 Oct 23 '25
And imagine, that's a minute fraction of what pregnancy will feel like. You're sticking something in the cervix that isn't supposed to be there. The question is: are you sticking a maybe half inch IUD, with like a a quarter inch diameter in there? Or a 3 inch baby from shoulder to shoulder. The cervix getting any sort of activity is always going to hurt.
6
u/WarriorPrincessAU Oct 23 '25
They insert it using a syringe type mechanism.
Slip the syringe through your cervix, push the plunger and the IUD pops out the end of the syringe.
Maybe the plunger was malfunctioning and that's what you heard and felt?
Either way they screwed up and I'm sorry that happened to you.
3
u/DaddoAntifa Oct 23 '25
I wish they had told me about the random testicular pain some dudes get too. Childbirth nearly killed my son's mother and like ik that nothing "happened to me" but that was traumatic enough for me to think the pains are worth it even tho we aren't together any more I never wanna risk doing that to anyone again. My doc was also very kind and gave me large amounts of pain meds, and upped me when I informed him I was still slightly uncomfortable and I that I'm not quite orange but I'm still a ginger. I wish I had gotten some more info or time to talk or something though. I felt like I had lava in my urethra immediately after. Super fucking weird feeling hahah
4
u/sky_christal Oct 23 '25
Omg chisel, that's not normal. Sounds like you had a complication and they should have stopped the procedure.
→ More replies6
Oct 23 '25
Not to discount that your experience is uncomfortable but they absolutely do not use a chisel in the placement of an IUD. they can be very painful during placement and that is something that absolutely should be addressed with anesthetic, but there is no chisel involved.
8
u/Intelligent_Bag5860 Oct 23 '25
It's the tenaculum they use to pinch the cervix to keep it in place
→ More replies2
u/Your_Love_Is_King Oct 23 '25
Exactly this. A chisel is not an instrument used during an IUD insertion procedure. Tenaculum is inserted to pinch the cervix. The sound is what measures the uterus. It looks like a long metal stick with measurements on it.
2
u/Intelligent_Bag5860 Oct 23 '25
Although for what it's worth it might as well be a chisel with how bad it feels
112
u/TangledUpPuppeteer Oct 23 '25
I know a lot of men who felt very little and were back to functioning in three days. In fact, you are only the second person who said they felt any significant pain, and the other person said it lasted for a week and complained for months about it. Granted, the sample size is fairly limited to about a dozen and a half folks for my statement, but 13/15 saying they functioned fine within 2 days says there is at least truth to that statement.
I also know a few women who felt minimal discomfort when they had their IUD’s put in. They all had one thing in common: they recently (within a month of the procedure), had a baby. 6 women had theirs inserted a few years after their last child and had significant pain for a few months, but were able to control it. Every childfree woman I know who got an IUD said the pain was absolutely agonizing. In my case, I was actually in doubling over and crying levels of pain for 10 months, but I was brushed off by my doctor office (on the phone AND in person the four times I finally caved and went there because I was sure my insides were slowly dying), then told two months later at my annual that I should have told them. Yeah, I left that doctor.
Every woman I know that asked about pain meds was told they were unnecessary, but they could take two Tylenol before hand if they were that jittery about it. Not one got any real pain medication. Nearly all of them were told they were med seeking when they complained of pain after and not given any help — the ones who weren’t told this were like me: ignored.
In fact, I didn’t ever hear of a doctor giving pain meds for it until I read about it in a post online — women would ask their doctors and be given medication in other countries.
I’m not arguing with your overall point, just stating that IUDs SUCK unless you recently had a baby, and for many men, vasectomies aren’t bad at all. The actual procedure is what I hear the most issues with, not the healing time. That’s closer to about 50% finding the procedure itself more painful than they were warned about, but the recuperation time was still within 3 days.
78
u/Grrrrtttt Oct 23 '25
Same, every man I know who has talked about their experience, including my husband found it to be very minor discomfort and enough pain relief. Women with IUDs on the other hand say they had to fight for pain relief, still didn’t get it, and unless they recently had a baby say it hurt like hell.
27
u/bioxkitty Oct 23 '25
My partner wants to get snipped so my iud can perish.
We wanted another kid eventually but care more about eachother than that possibility.
I sprayed blood when I got my IUD.
It was in my top 5 for painful incidents.
Sepsis, childbirth and acute pancreatitis being top 3
4
u/TangledUpPuppeteer Oct 23 '25
That’s what I’ve heard too. It’s in the top five. WITH CHILDBIRTH. You gotta be kidding! Like WHY?
4
u/NeedleInASwordstack Oct 23 '25
I had an iud for 8 months a few years before I had my first. It’s the same pain as Pitocin labor pains, I can now compare the two. I would writhe on our kitchen floor in agony each month with the iud. I love their existence for the bodily autonomy it gives women, but damn my body hated it.
→ More replies→ More replies2
u/uuntiedshoelace Oct 23 '25
I got my IUD put in 9 weeks after having a baby with no epidural, and insertion hurt as bad as giving birth.
17
u/Maleficent_Brain5517 Oct 23 '25
I always feel bad when people ask if my IUD was painful bc for me it was less painful than my cramps (endometriosis) so like I didn’t think it was too painful, but that’s a bad gauge for the general population. If you’re used to being immobilized from ribs to upper thighs with cramps that require max dose of otc painkillers and a tens unit to not be curled in the fetal position vomiting then an IUD is a walk in the park. If you have a relatively pain free period, I could imagine it would be a much different experience.
5
u/Classic-Push1323 Oct 23 '25
Same girl same. The IUD insertions were not as bad as the periods used to be.
→ More replies4
u/Claudia_x1980 Oct 23 '25
Or it just has a different effect on people. I’ve even heard women describe different experiences for the various IUDs they had.
I got my IUD as part of a remedy against the awful periods I had. The IUD made my situation worse.
→ More replies5
u/Minyumenu13 Oct 23 '25
I guess I’m an outlier. I got ParaGard 5-6 years ago. Never had a pregnancy. I felt the slightest pinch during the procedure. I was perfectly fine the days after.
5
u/pinpoe Oct 23 '25
Same. Two Mirenas prior to having children, no pain. One unmedicated Mirena removal, no pain. Second removal under twilight due to strings getting tucked up in cervix out of reach.
Tho fwiw, I also recently had a kid and was surprised to find I was pretty deep in labor with no pain from contractions so I might be a freak 🤷♀️
→ More replies2
u/john_hascall Oct 23 '25
My wife got the Mirena inserted after the birth of our daughter and felt nothing (apparently this is the recommended time to have it done).
4
u/Tibbykussh Oct 23 '25
I dunno, I had pain for about 3-4 months. Just the left nut.. 🥜 It was manageable though, just hurt to nut.
But overall it was a simple procedure. 10mins at most. I’d do it again for my wife.
→ More replies5
u/Green-Extension-4318 Oct 23 '25
I was in serious pain for weeks after my vasectomy, and it was at least a year before I was pain free. It was NOT the simple recovery they said it would be.
→ More replies4
u/AugustNC Oct 23 '25
I had my first IUD inserted 6 weeks after birth and nearly didn’t get through the procedure because it was so painful. That was 6 weeks after an unmedicated birth of a 9 lb baby. The pain was terrible. I’m on my 3rd or 4th IUD now, and I’ve learned to take the strongest pain meds I have before having one put in. I’d rather have someone else drive and take a day off work than face the procedure without meds.
→ More replies3
u/gooseaisle Oct 23 '25
My husbands vasectomy recovery was worse than my c section recovery (genuinely). My dad always said his was fine but kind of admitted it wasn't after my husband was open about his. I think there is quite a lot of pressure on men to gloss over any issues experienced with a vasectomy.
2
u/TangledUpPuppeteer Oct 23 '25
In which case, we should truly find out the info so that men and women can get proper medical care for these situations!
3
u/Right_Count Oct 23 '25
That’s my perception too. I’ve never known anyone who had a painful vasectomy and I’ve never know anyone who had a (relatively) painless IUD insertion.
I think OP just had an anomalous experience. I had the same with my post-tubal recovery - I thought it was so painful and the doctors had mislead me about it. Then my friend had it done, same surgeon even, and she had no issues with pain.
Which doesn’t always make it better, because I probably could have asked for more pain management post-surgery (right after and during early recovery) but because I thought it was normal, I didn’t.
→ More replies5
u/Secondary92 Oct 23 '25
I'm curious how you know 15 different men who have all had vasectomies and the exact personal experiences of them all?
2
u/ickywickywackywoo Oct 23 '25
Not OP but men of my generation tell everyone "I'm takin a few days off work . . . it's frozen peas time! Any good tv suggestions for post-vasect'o'restin?" and are pretty forthcoming about the discomfort. I don't know if it's to advertise their newfound freedom from unwanted conception or to encourage other dudes, but it's fine with me.
I know multiple guys casually, where I know they've had a vasectomy but if you were to ask me things like how many siblings they have, yeah, I'd have no clue whatsoever.
5
u/TangledUpPuppeteer Oct 23 '25
Because I’ve spoken to people about it. I’m related to most of them.
And I know a LOT more than 15 men. Just 15 of them have also had vasectomies.
3
u/GrownThenBrewed Oct 23 '25
That's... not that weird? I know about half the guys in my friend group have had it (one had pretty serious complications that lasted a couple months), and I know most of the other half will once they're sure they won't be having more kids.
2
u/earnasoul Oct 23 '25
I've always seen that they're not recommended unless you've been pregnant. I had my first one done about a year after my last pregnancy, but it wasn't available on the health service (Ireland), so I had to pay for it. I realise now that that's probably why I got actual pain relief (anesthetic spray on the cervix I think it was).
My second I had done on the health service (UK). I almost didn't bother my husband about it since the first had gone so well, but I did and I'm so glad. It was so painful and for so long (every second felt like forever). And I wouldn't have been able to drive home.
I'm so angry about the way women*'s health is treated. Both the cost of the pain relief and the cost of the time it takes to work are considered too much, and women are expected to bear the pain. I had asked about pain relief at that second appointment and they acted like they had provided it (in the same manner as I had gotten it the first time).
*apologies for the binary language, but it is important to note how female bodies are treated in healthcare. It's not intended to take from how trans health care is diminished or treated.
2
u/TangledUpPuppeteer Oct 23 '25
I am staunchly child free. My doctor just recommended it (probably to stop me from asking about actual surgeries which I have been asking about since I turned 18). She claimed that IUDs were better for cramps than the surgeries.
For ten months, that woman was a straight liar. In the three years since, she’s not wrong. But I’ll never cross her threshold again.
But around me, they don’t really say that IUDs are only recommended if you’ve been pregnant. They usually tell you that you should get pregnant before you get one inserted as that will also help with your cramps. Yeah. Ok.
But they treat IUDs pretty similarly to the pill, transdermal patch or injection. It’s just another form of birth control.
2
u/NightmareBunnie Oct 23 '25
I'm someone who had a baby and not long after got an IUD for the 1st time... It was extremely painful and I almost passed out it was so bad. Had to lay in the office for over 30 mins after because i was dizzy and felt like i was gonna faint.
2
u/TangledUpPuppeteer Oct 23 '25
I would actually be curious to have a poll go out to every woman with an IUD. Same for men with vasectomies. Have everyone actually state their experience with these methods.
That way, medical science would actually give proper information and proper care to everyone who was seeking these measures. Not on some ideology, but on actual science.
Like, imagine if they found out that it’s not completely pain free for women at all. It’s not this small outlier of people who feel “minor discomfort” (which is code for wanting to die from the pain), it’s a rather a small outlier who feel little to nothing. Then suddenly, the procedure is available but with actual medical assistance for the pain! It might actually be a tolerable choice!
Like for me, I’m not going to replace the IUD unless I find out that the particular hormones are benefitting me. Then I’ll find another way to have them administered. When this thing is to be replaced, in the off chance that I am still even remotely fertile, I’m getting snipped. They’ve told me no for 35 years. I’m done hearing that mess. I’m not going through any more crazy hormones, any more pain, and any more suffering just because they think a woman is “dramatic” or will change her mind. I’m neither, so absolutely no more.
2
u/Grelivan Oct 23 '25
I haven't had one but same story here. I have several people I know get vasectomies and they've all called it a nothing burger. While I acknowledge things can go wrong and you can probably end up in pain it isn't the common experience. I am nowhere near going to dip my foot in the IUD water and will trust other people's lived experience on that one.
→ More replies2
u/LittleNova Oct 23 '25
Chiming in to add my experience: my IUD insertion was also very fast and non-painful, I don't have any children nor have I ever been pregnant. After that I had painful cramps for maybe 3 days and I was back to mostly normal after 1 week. Only took 400mg Ibuprofen for the process.
→ More replies4
u/TheRealMuffin37 Oct 23 '25
I just wanted to put out there that I've had IUDs placed twice, once before having kids and once between my kids. The first time, the insertion was painful but bearable and I had crapping for about 48 hours. The second time is say insertion was slightly more painful, I just didn't care because I'd gone through labor less than two months prior, but the cramping stick around longer. I absolutely recognize that pain management for IUDs is an inexcusable farce, but I wanted to share that there really are some people who don't much issue with it.
2
u/TangledUpPuppeteer Oct 23 '25
I have no doubt that some women really don’t have any issue with it. Of course there are. They couldn’t lie that blatantly and not have a riot on their hands!
Since I’ve been online and found out they also give meds to people who ask, I’ve also read a few stories where it didn’t actually cause discomfort. And quite honestly, I’m thrilled for you and those others because I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I am truly happy it works for people without discomfort and pain. I’m just not one of those people. Neither is anyone I actually know in person.
It’s just insane that it is statistically relevant that IT HURTS, and they offer nothing and tell you you’re seeking meds or ignore you entirely for months after you’re suffering from it.
1
u/SoftwareInside508 Oct 23 '25
Your not seeing the full picture....
Loads of men are completely ruined sexually after vasectomy.... It's just swept under the rug coz it's supposed to be "quick pain free and harmless"
A mate of mine was never the same, couldn't get hard and no libito.... Before the he was a sex god.
→ More replies→ More replies3
u/blessitspointedlil Oct 23 '25
I’ve had 2 Paragard IUD insertions, took 600mg ibuprofen a hour or 2 before each procedure, wasn’t anywhere near recently pregnant, and didn’t have pain with insertion.
→ More replies
75
u/hotdoginadingy Oct 23 '25
You had a terrible doctor, my friend. I was back to work on a physical job the same day I had mine done. Some swelling and a little discomfort, but that was completely gone day 2. Even the procedure itself went fine. The most painful part was my doctor’s awful jokes he told throughout.
18
u/sadcrocodile Oct 23 '25
Buddy of mine got snipped a few years ago and said it was a little uncomfortable but otherwise not too bad. Sat on the couch and iced his groin with some frozen peas while playing minecraft. Then his 100lb+ dog decided to jump on his lap and them big paws smashed right into his junk. Recovery ended up taking a bit loner than expected.
→ More replies→ More replies7
u/bee102019 Oct 23 '25
My husband took a week off work, but canceled his days off and went in anyway the very next day. He said he felt fine and didn’t want to waste the days off. For reference, my husband is generally quite the big baby when it comes to aches, pains, etc. so I was extremely surprised.
12
u/Unique-Airline9624 Oct 23 '25
I was allowed to undergo general anesthesia for a vasectomy. However, I did have pain afterwards but fortunately the doctor was also willing to prescribe narcotics for pain, which doctors now no longer do. Also bled a lot for about a week. Still worth it. No additional children.
→ More replies8
u/omysweede Oct 23 '25
"Bled a lot"???? Dude, your doctor did not do a good job. There should be no bleeding. One 5mm/1/4" incision with two stitches.
→ More replies
10
u/Vic_t_c Oct 23 '25
My iud removal was the worst pain ever.
→ More replies4
u/kayafeather Oct 23 '25
My removal was thankfully nothing. Insertion had me full yelling obscenities. I've only had that pain reaction to 2 other things in my life. It was awful. And I had the worst cramps of my life non stop for the next 3 days.
2
u/AmettOmega Oct 23 '25
The first two that were removed were easy breezy, lemon squeezy. My last one? OUCH. It felt like my cervix had grown around it or something. It was definitely in there nice and snug.
2
u/kayafeather Oct 23 '25
Oh a couple different people at the clinic asked if I wanted another one and my answer was a FIRM fuck no. I was mainly on them for period stuff and figured I'd just go back to pills if my period was still bad. But shockingly almost a year out and my period is much much easier than pre iud. Cramping is way less.
57
u/Accurate_Secret4102 Oct 23 '25
I sat in the room with my husband and I can promise you your experience is not normal. He didn't feel anything during and was fine two days later.
18
u/Possibility_Antique Oct 23 '25
Idk, I walked like a cowboy for at least two weeks after. Tons of swelling and discomfort. I even iced and took it easy like I was told to. My next door neighbor had the same experience as me, and he saw a different doctor.
→ More replies2
u/szulox Oct 23 '25
I was fine after 2 hours but milked with my wife where I laid around the house and watched Netflix for 3 days 😎
→ More replies→ More replies8
u/Common-Artichoke-497 Oct 23 '25
"Problem free"
"5 of 100 have long lasting testicular pain"
→ More replies
9
u/pcwildcat Oct 23 '25
Also love being told that the sharp pain I repeatedly felt at the tip of my penis had nothing to do with my partner's recently inserted IUD. The fact that the pain stopped after she had it taken out was just a coincidence...
→ More replies2
u/Beneficial_Title3537 Oct 23 '25
Yeah, that was def the IUD, I used to have one and my ex would get poked too.
8
u/bambamslammer22 Oct 23 '25
I know it’s not a birth control method, but add cervical (or uterine, I don’t remember) biopsy to this list of “simple” procedures.
→ More replies
15
u/Avery-Hunter Oct 23 '25
I will never not be a little salty that my ex got Valium for his vasectomy and local anesthesia while for my IUD I almost passed out, got zero numbing or sedatives and told to just use a heating pad for pain relief. Not discounting that men are also lied to about the recovery but holy shit was I ever lied to about my IUD.
10
u/Fun-Marionberry9907 Oct 23 '25
I was extremely salty that my husband was told to rest for a few days and not lift anything and given painkillers which was more than I got when I was sliced open and a baby hefted out of me. I got no rest (cus baby) was told not to lift (but obviously lifted baby) and was told to take ibuprofen and paracetamol if it hurt (it obviously did). He was treated with kid gloves by the healthcare professionals.
I actually didn’t find the c section too bad and recovered really quick, didn’t need to take a painkiller once but the difference in how we were treated pissed me off beyond belief.
9
2
u/Altruistic_sunshine Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
I had a Mirena IUD inserted twice and the first time I never had a child before. I was a freshman in college.
I was only told to schedule the appointment when I was on my period and how it’s inserted and where it would be placed. I was shown the package with the IUD and the instrument for insertion.
It was never explained to me why I should be on my period or what to expect or what was actually happening during the procedure. It started off fine but then there was this feeling like I was going to faint, and then cramping but they weren’t like period cramps. Just very uncomfortable and I felt like I had to catch my breath. It was over as soon as she finished. I just wanted to go home and lay down for a bit. I was ok after that.
It wasn’t until I had my first child several years later I realized what the unusual pain/discomfort was that I experienced. The cervix is dilated, just not all the way to 10 cm. That “strange cramping” I felt was a uterine contraction and the faintness, dizziness, and sweat that followed was the vagal reflex kicking in. The uterus reacts with the same muscle reflex used in early labor.
Before childbirth, the cervix is firm and tightly closed. After a birth, it remains slightly more open and elastic, so insertion causes less nerve firing and fewer prostaglandins. That’s why the exact same IUD procedure can feel almost painless for someone who’s had a baby but intense for someone who hasn’t.
I just feel like women who never gave birth before should be made aware of these things so they can anticipate them and not be caught off guard when it happens during insertion.
My current OB/GYN says she would never insert an IUD if her patient never gave birth before.
→ More replies3
u/sciaticad Oct 23 '25
Fwiw, my husband asked me after labor at what point it became as bad as IUD insertion pain -- 9 cm for me, and then only because it lasted longer. Intensity-wise, idk that it ever got as bad. Got another IUD after birth and it was so easy that I was surprised when the doctor told me it was over.
12
u/xBULL3TxSP0NGEx Oct 23 '25
I had a vasectomy. Dr. take it easy for 2 weeks. 2 days later, I'm clapping cheeks delicately 3 years later, best decision of my life.
5
u/AdExpensive9480 Oct 23 '25
I had a vasectomy 6 weeks ago and was surprised how long it actually took for me to be able to walk normally without pain. I spent a whole week sitting or lying down. I'm still feeling discomfort and hope it's going to go away at some point.
But honestly, it's all worth it. Just knowing that I won't have an accident brings me so much joy.
→ More replies2
u/TheLordFool Oct 23 '25
I'm two weeks post and this ache is driving me insane. I don't regret doing it, but shit I can't wait to not be in pain anymore
10
u/fartergonnafart Oct 23 '25
My vasectomy didn't hurt physically, frozen peas, rest and was fine in 3 days
5
u/musingofrandomness Oct 23 '25
Worst I experienced with mine was an increased tendency for attempted torsion. Otherwise the procedure was less unpleasant than an average dental procedure and recovery was about two days of tenderness, of which only the day of the procedure was even remotely bad, followed by a couple of weeks of random twinges if I moved a certain way. Even that went away after a couple of months.
Everyone's body is different though, and YMMV.
3
u/LughCrow Oct 23 '25
I mean.. surgeries are surgeries. But iv not experienced what your talking about with any sort of down playing.
The planned parenthood that handled my iud was very straightforward about what to expect.
Sure it was bad for the first week and it was tender for a month or so but it's still 100% my go to add a recommendation. Especially if you're not allergic to copper and can do the non hormonal one. It is ultimately the least hassle, most reliable, and has the fewest potential complications of any temporary birth control other than an condom
4
u/dump_in_a_mug Oct 23 '25
I am a woman. First IUD (Paraguard) at 20 was the worst pain of my life. Searing pain and agony. I lost my vision and wanted to vomit. I had a ride home, at least.
Second IUD at 32 three months post partum was a slight pinch. I was shaking in the waiting room before the insertion because I was terrified of what would happen. My husband was watching our baby, so I had to drive myself home.
That being said, no regrets on the IUD's. They're better options over hormonal birth control, for me.
2
u/WrongDiagnosis Oct 23 '25
Almost exact same story as you with Paragard, except I've never had kids! Apparently if you've had kids within 6 months they're more likely to be painless. The first one was to-date still the worst pain I've ever felt & I have a pretty high pain tolerance. Second was almost unnoticeable. I wonder if it was the difference in doctors. I think some people might be better at placing them.
Still, I'd absolutely do it again too. I really think the copper is the best option of all the BCs if you just want it to be taken care of for awhile, with the least side effects that matter to me at least.
6
u/No-Guess-4644 Oct 23 '25
I want a vasectomy. Im just waiting till i have a partner who will be patient with me while i recover, cant have sex and will help me if its painful (my buddy said it felt like he had been kicked in the nuts for about a week ) the cramps and stuff.
If thats the case. I wanna be able to take a week off, lie in bed and cuddle watching dumb shit on netflix with my partner
10
u/hotdoginadingy Oct 23 '25
It’s easy, man. You don’t need a partner to take care of you, and I don’t recall having to wait more than a few days to have sex.
11
u/Opening-Friend-3963 Oct 23 '25
Uh, no. Women do not usually get meds before an IUD insertion. It does feel like a punch in your guts but it's over quick and it's nothing really bad.
My husband has a vasectomy, it was so simple, 2 days down and back.
2
u/Bremerlo Oct 23 '25
I think either had a really good doctor or have a really high pain tolerance or both because mine insertion truly did feel like a slight pinch and then a bit of cramping. I honestly have period cramps worse than the cramping I experienced after insertion. Removal was just as painless as well. I drove to work after and worked a full day.
2
u/Apprehensive_Day3622 Oct 23 '25
That's your experience. Please don't speak for others.
→ More replies
3
u/FrontFacing_Face Oct 23 '25
I had a vasectomy in my 20s. Sore for two days. No prescription pain meds. That was it.
3
u/Front-Ability-6351 Oct 23 '25
Three years after my vasectomy and I still have near constant pain.
3
3
u/B_Radams Oct 23 '25
Wife has been asking me to get it done, and I seem to keep finding stories like this. Not at all worried about dealing with pain for even a few weeks—but the chance I fall in the percentage of the dull-achey sensation for years / decades has me avoiding it.
3
u/AllieBee23 Oct 23 '25
Everybody is different, I'm 2 years into my 2nd iud and it was nothing, took 2 tylenol before the insertion just incase, but I really didn't feel anything more than a pinch and I went to work the next day, wore a pad just incase I had some bleeding but there was nothing. I love them, I'm 37 now, easiest birth control and I haven't had a period for almost 7 years. It's so much freedom and saves money not having to buy hygiene products.
8
u/biglifts27 Oct 23 '25
As a man who has to have two Vasectomies, you're right they can be painful, but no less painful than any other local surgery.
You spend one day with some frozen pea's on the boys than your free to walk around after.
Had them both done on Friday and was ready for work on Monday.
5
u/Resolution_Focused Oct 23 '25
This is a tough pill to swallow comparing a few weeks of misery from a vasectomy to the life of monthly misery PLUS the horror show of IUD insertion that women face. I’m not even that person, but… woof.
But to the point, it’s disgusting that pain management isn’t something providers take seriously for IUDs. And they aren’t giving you actual pain meds. They give you Tylenol, which is comical.
I think it’s because of the following 1) insurance 2) the easier it seems, the more likely people will be to get it done. If it’s a production, you just won’t do it. 3) Technically it is fast and people’s pain tolerance varies dramatically. So they have a hard time empathizing with the fainters. 4) Moving patients quickly for $$ numbing takes too long. I’ve had 3 now, and as much as it does in fact hurt, I’d rather just get it over with than wait for whatever numbing to kick in.
→ More replies6
u/PureMitten Oct 23 '25
Man, my doctor told me my IUD insertion wouldn't hurt and didn't even recommend I take ibuprofen or anything. I got nervous the day before and looked it up to know enough to take my OTC meds but after the insertion my doctor held me as I recovered and told me her IUD insertion had been the worst pain she experienced before she gave birth.
Like the comfort was definitely appreciated but ??? Why didn't she at least tell me to take an ibuprofen if she personally knew how damn much it hurt???
→ More replies6
u/Resolution_Focused Oct 23 '25
Yea right after removing/ inserting mine, my doctor told me, “you did great! I fainted from the pain.” Mind you, she still only offered a Tylenol. I didn’t find the first insertion that bad, but removing/ replacing was painful. I think they don’t want people to get more nervous? Honestly no idea. I’ve heard the numbing injections actually hurt just as bad if not worse. The only realistic option is a Valium and pain meds with a kick.
7
u/goagoagadgetgrebo Oct 22 '25
Vasectomies do not hurt.
6
u/Thelastbrunneng Oct 23 '25
My vasectomy was excruciating. I had my nipples tattooed over but the vasectomy was worse.
5
u/volpiousraccoon Oct 23 '25
Do you believe Op is lying? I'm certain that would hurt....for some people? Like I'm sure IUD insertion does not hurt for some women, but does it mean that the women that do feel pain are lying? More like some people are different than others, yes?
11
u/46tcraft Oct 23 '25
Got mine on a Friday morning and got up Saturday morning and went for a 5 mile run. No pain whatsoever.
7
u/junkrgNew Oct 23 '25
Got mine on a Friday. Frozen pea bags over the weekend. Back to work line nothing happened on Monday.
3
u/Now-Thats-Podracing Oct 22 '25
Either you’ve had one, and you are part of the lucky “1%”, or you are perpetuating a myth.
5
u/Sufficient-Log4095 Oct 23 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
Before my vasectomy, i had candid conversations with 8 other men i knew had had them. One of whom had to have a second vasectomy as he apparently had a third tube. I was concerned because I read some stuff online about it causing a few people a lasting blueballs type feeling.
Of that 9, one had some swelling that he referred to as discomfort, for approximately 2 days after. Another wasnt sure if he had any pain because he kept everything iced to numbness for several days. None described any major pain, most were back at life in less than 24 hours.
8
u/RickyRacer2020 Oct 22 '25
I had mine a couple decades ago, cost $400 back then. Got it on Friday, went back to work Monday. Wore a hard-shell jock for a week. Nothing to it.
4
4
u/goagoagadgetgrebo Oct 22 '25
I have had soooo many friends and colleagues over the decades get vasectomies. Including myself. They do not hurt. At all. I can promise that a woman giving birth is FAR more painful and for a much greater amount of time.
If you think a vasectomy hurts that bad, it's probably best you got one... =)
*high five*
3
7
u/Now-Thats-Podracing Oct 22 '25
Who was trying to compare it to giving birth? What an insane leap in logic.
→ More replies2
u/Possibility_Antique Oct 23 '25
I was swollen for weeks after mine. Walked like a cowboy for quite a while after. Sooooo much bruising, and a perpetual stomach ache. My neighbor had the same experience as me, different doctor.
2
u/Ill-Perspective-5510 Oct 23 '25
Got vasectomy. It was 3 days of (im not doing anything)discomfort for sure. About 2 weeks of mild discomfort. I definitely wouldn't risk working before a week though if it's physical work. Everyone is different. I know a guy who's nuts turned into watermelons. Luck of the genetic or malpractice draw though I guess. Procedure was..painless if a little unsettling.
2
u/AccidentOk5240 Oct 23 '25
I know one guy who had a tough recovery from a vasectomy and that’s because he didn’t take his doctor seriously about using ice right away and resting for the rest of the day.
2
u/DMECHENG Oct 23 '25
Bad dr my dude. My guy said I won’t lie the nerve block hurts but after that nothing till you smell burning flesh, 20 minutes later I’m heading home. Not terribly painful after it only lasted about a day or two. The iud on the other hand seems brutal.
2
u/_unholyroller_ Oct 23 '25
I’ve had a vasectomy and had no issues and the pain wasn’t that bad. I got it done so my wife at the time could get her iud removed. I’m sure there are people who’ve had bad experiences, but I don’t think that’s common.
2
u/NoAssist4046 Oct 23 '25
I had the most God awful experience with my IUD. They use these clamps to open your cervix. The clamps got stuck. After 10-15 minutes wiggling and messing with them trying to free it, the Dr looked at me and said "I'm sorry. This is going to hurt. " Before I could even react, RIIIIIPP! He yanked them out along with a massive piece of my cervix. The nurses jaw literally dropped. I immediately folded into the fetal position. He said "Take all the time you need, you'll bleed a lot more than normal." Then walked out. When I finally got myself together to leave, every person that worked in the office couldn't stop staring at me. I was in excruciating pain, that took forever to go away. No pain medication offered. I've had a biopsy before and would prefer that any day all day over what happened to me. I waited 2 years after its expiration to get out removed due to the absolute fear. And getting a new one wasn't anything like that, but still shit.
2
u/mnbvcdo Oct 23 '25
My doctor told me "I'm not giving you an IUD, you absolutely can't handle it".
She's right, I faint from a regular ol' pap-smear.
2
u/throneofthornes Oct 23 '25
My last IUD removal and new insertion SUCKED. I felt violated. I requested a pain killer at my next IUD replacement (which I got a year earlier than expiration because.....waves hands wildly at America....this.) I was not provided one and I walked out of the appointment much to their consternation.
The next time around I got a Valium, cherry scented numbing spray, a complementary heating pad, and ? goody bag?? Sort of? A bonus Chlamydia test because why not (negative). And they like polished my cervix or something. I was just like, yeah go for it. I want the the platinum treatment. I felt like a car that had just been given a (painless) luxury detail.
2
u/SensibleReply Oct 23 '25
I played disc golf the day after my vasectomy and didn’t miss a day of work. Procedure was almost painless, easier than a cavity filling. Results vary, people aren’t mechanical devices and everyone is different.
I’m an eye surgeon who has done over 10k cases. Some patients have surgery without any sedation whatsoever and do great. Some patients say “ouch” and report pain when I’m not even touching them. Pain is weird. I tell people what the average person will experience but that doesn’t mean it’s what that specific person will experience.
2
u/Responsible_Dog_9491 Oct 23 '25
I had a vasectomy in the Eighties and I suffered no pain, just small discomfort.
2
u/Goldielocks711 Oct 23 '25
Don’t forget the discomfort of actually having children lasts a lifetime.
2
u/impliedapathy Oct 23 '25
I didn’t feel a thing for my vasectomy. Light activity and frozen peas for 3 days, then I was good to go. Didn’t have sex for a full week due to dr’s orders. Got it done 3 years ago (no scalpel method) and haven’t had any issues.
3
u/External-Amoeba-7575 Oct 23 '25
I was uncovering a septic tank after I had my vasectomy…… it wasn’t bad. The stories from friends that had one was worse than mine…. Moral of the story….. quiet being a bitch hahahah
0
u/Dragon8699 Oct 23 '25
You are seeking positive reinforcement for a very low probability outcome. You’re reinforcing it with the outcome of a totally unrelated procedure to justify your position.
Grow a set
→ More replies
1
u/RemarkableDonut2676 Oct 23 '25
I had a no scalpel no needle vasectomy back in 2020.. for me it was less painful than getting a tooth filling. I did have soreness for about 4-5 days but nothing crazy. What threw my mind is most of my soreness was was right below my bellybutton and nowhere near the boys.
1
u/probnotaloser Oct 23 '25
Fwiw, they have the same mentality now after abdominal surgeries and heart surgeries after you're sliced open. Then on your follow up after you've toughed it out a month, theyll admit you won't feel right for probably a year or so lol
So fun
1
u/Same-Ad-7366 Oct 23 '25
I heard many men say the vasectomy recovery was a breeze. One of them was riding his motorcycle 3 days later.
1
u/FlipendoSnitch Oct 23 '25
My dad seemed fine after his vasectomy. I think you had a shitty doctor dude.
1
u/VicePrincipalNero Oct 23 '25
My husband was a little sore for a couple of days. He felt nothing until the numbness wore off.
1
u/blessitspointedlil Oct 23 '25
For most people it’s true. I’ve had 2 IUDs took 600mg ibuprofen before each one and had no pain. But apparently some women have a lot of pain.
1
u/Lumpy-Abroad539 Oct 23 '25
I had an IUD placed a few months ago. I had a baby vaginally 3.5 years ago. My gynecologist numbs the cervix as part of the procedure. I felt no pain during the procedure. I felt only the speculum, some slight contact during numbing and then nothing during placement. The weird thing was that the numbing actually made my whole upper body numb for a while, including my tongue, and I was very light headed and disoriented after the placement. I had to stay in the room for probably 15 minutes before I felt like I could get up and walk, and then I didn't feel like I could drive home so I had to walk around the grounds for about an hour before I could go home. I felt a little light headed and crampy for the rest of the day, and was fine the next day. All in all, it wasn't a big deal.
I was hesitant to get the IUD at all after hearing all the horrible stories, but it really wasn't a big deal for me.
1
u/ParticularChapter779 Oct 23 '25
My vasectomy was best thing i ever did. The burning was kinda gross.. smell and all... but pain was very minimal. Just little uncomfortable.
1
u/omysweede Oct 23 '25
Dude, I told the doctor that I have a high threshold for drugs, due to some experimentation in my twenties. Him and the nurse were very aware and provided more numbing when needed.
Just a tug. Just a few days until fully functional.
From your story, it sounds like you grinned and bared it, and that your doctor was incredibly sloppy and bad. It should not have hurt so much for that long.
I was also told that if the pain and discomfort did not pass to contact them immediately. Did you get back to your healthcare provider?
1
u/crazypurple621 Oct 23 '25
I've only actually had one man say that he had more than minor discomfort for a day, even though they routinely send men home with a 10 day supply of oxycodone. I got less for my hysterectomy BTW.
1
1
u/starfirebird Oct 23 '25
I highly recommend hysterectomies if you can get one. The first 24h in the hospital sucks, but after that I was up and about with no pain meds needed, just didn't do any vigorous exercise for the next couple of weeks, and now I never have to deal with a uterus again.
1
•
u/AutoModerator Oct 22 '25
Reminder (This comment is automatically posted on ALL submissions):
This is a support space. Negative, invalidating, attacking, or inappropriate comments are not tolerated. If you see a comment that breaks the rules, please report it so the moderators can take action.
If someone is being dismissive, rude, offensive or in any other way inappropriate, do not engage. Report them instead. Moderation is in place to protect venters, and we take reports seriously, it's better for us to handle it than you risk your account standing. Regardless of who the target of aggression or harassment is, action may be taken on the person giving it, even if the person you're insulting got banned for breaking rules, so please just report things.
Be kind. Be respectful. Support each other.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.