| Why Haven’t
I Heard of PVPS Before? This is a really great question. Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome has been shrouded from general public knowledge for a variety of reasons. Let me give you a few examples: First, many doctors don’t know that even the possibility of this problem exists. Personally, I have met many doctors, many of whom have had vasectomies themselves, who had never heard of the syndrome prior to our encounter. I also know of a number of doctors who were unaware of the possibility of PVPS, had the procedure themselves, and have endured painful consequences themselves. One doctor I know lost a testicle as a result of his vasectomy and still has pain to contend with over 20 years later. Many of the doctors who do know about Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome don’t like to talk about it. Often the claim is made that this problem is so rare that it need not be mentioned, although surveys of patients in the years following their vasectomies would testify otherwise. One doctor claimed that informing patients of the possibility of chronic genital pain due to a vasectomy would unnecessarily traumatize the patient. I would contend that the reality of chronic genital pain is much more traumatizing than telling someone the truth about it beforehand. As an example, my endocrinologist went to a medical conference and attended a session on urology. A doctor in the audience asked about Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome. One of the panelists answering the questions simply waved this off, stating that he didn’t want to talk about it. If that happens between doctors, imagine what happens between doctors and patients. Economics plays a part too. Vasectomies are normally a simple, quick, high profit procedure for doctors to perform, and insurance companies readily pay for it. Telling patients plainly about the possibility of PVPS would substantially reduce the number of men willing to undergo the procedure, and that would be bad for business. For many of those who do end up with problems, there are often repeated doctor visits and surgeries, all of which cost money too. Yet another reason is legal. Post-Vasectomy Pain Syndrome is iatrogenic in origin, meaning it is caused by the action of a doctor. Vasectomies have been performed on over 50 million men. Can you imagine the legal implications of this? My contention is that this is the male equivalent to failed breast implants in women, save the fact that men are much less likely to talk about their problems than women are. This brings us to another point: men in general won’t discuss post-vasectomy pain or other problems, particularly if they don’t think you would understand. Often times men who are having significant pain following their vasectomies will return to their doctor and be told that there is nothing to do about this and to tough it out. I was the recipient of this line of treatment myself. Others will be told that there must be something wrong with them and their body or, worse, that they need psychological counseling. It is commonly not mentioned that there is something inherently wrong with the procedure or how it was done that allows for this to happen. Men are socialized by shame, so if you give a man something to be self-conscious and ashamed about, especially if it involves his genitals, just watch how fast he will clam up and go away, angry perhaps, but he will go away nonetheless. We recently held a weekend workshop for couples titled “Healing From Vasectomy.” People attended this event from all over the country in hopes of finding better ways to treat the myriad of problems they were having in the wake of their vasectomies. The story of one couple serves as a pertinent example. He has been experiencing significant pain since his vasectomy in 1995, having seen numerous doctors since and had multiple surgeries, some of which made the pain worse. Despite all this, they had told no one about what was going on with him for fear of the judgments and opinions that others might have about the situation. Even his parents, who came to stay with their five children so the couple could attend the workshop, didn’t know what was going on.
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