<p><img class="alignright" style="margin: 3px" title="Man Getting a Reverse Vasectomy" alt="Man Getting a Reverse Vasectomy" src="http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900422110.jpg" width="186" height="176" />On 29 August 2011, when Prince William was busy marrying Kate Middleton, 51-year-old Stephen Woolley lay down on the operating table and got a vasectomy reversal.</p>
<p>No, there was no connection with the royal wedding – the reversal happened because of Stephen’s personal situation.</p>
<p><strong>Stephen&#8217;s Story</strong></p>
<p>Stephen got married in 1991, fathered two daughters, and then got vasectomized in 1996. He and his wife decided not to have any more children. Things took a nasty turn when Scott separated from his wife in 2000. Scott was all single, ready to mingle, and lonely.</p>
<p>Seven years later, Scott found Carla, and they decided to get married. Carla wanted children but Stephen was vasectomized. He was not a selfish man and therefore, opted to reverse his vasectomy. A year later, Carla gave birth to a baby boy. [1]</p>
<p><strong>Stephen Is Not Alone – Vasectomies In UK Have Dropped By 60%</strong></p>
<p>You might be surprised to learn that the number of vasectomies conducted per year in UK has dropped by 60% in 10 years. In 2001, 37,700 vasectomies were performed, and the number dropped to 15,106 in 2011. In America, 500,000 men get themselves vasectomized annually.</p>
<p>But in UK, men are shying away from vasectomy and the trend is agonizing medical experts because the number of 40+ women seeking abortions has gone up significantly.</p>
<p><strong>Why Is Vasectomy No Longer In Fashion in UK?</strong></p>
<p>The main reason is that many couples are divorcing each other. In 2010, there were about 241,000 marriages and about 120,000 divorces. Of course, the 120,000 divorces included numbers from earlier marriages, and UK’s net divorce rate in 2010 was 11.1% [2].</p>
<p>Men in UK are watching their parents’, friends’ and relations’ marriages break apart and therefore they are treading cautiously when it comes to choosing life partners and vasectomy.</p>
<p>UK men also feel that vasectomy is almost-permanent and that scares them. UK’s NHS (National Health Service) covers reversals only in exceptional circumstances, and almost all men have to pay for the procedure, which costs about £3,000. The high reversal cost is yet another inhibiting factor.</p>
<p>Another factor that stands in the way of men and vasectomy is that couples are having children late in life. If women hit menopause earlier than expected, then the chances of the couple getting a child go out of the window. Also, men are aware that that the chances of vasectomy reversal success decrease as the years go by, and this stops UK’s men from snipping their vas deferens.</p>
<p><strong>To Sum Up</strong></p>
<p>Generally, vasectomy reversals are highly successful if they are performed within 10 years of the vasectomy. The overall success rate (i.e., the chances of pregnancy) is 50%. The highest chance of success is when the reversal is performed within 3 years.</p>
<p>Also, insurance companies, at least in America, have realized that there’s money to be made by covering reversals. Sooner or later, UK’s providers may follow suit as the number of vasectomies increase. Will UK’s men become more prone to getting vasectomies? The answer will be found in the medical history books of the future.</p>
<p>[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2249144/Vasectomies-60-decade&#8211;husbands-refuse-make-ultimate-commitment.html</p>
<p>[2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/jan/28/divorce-rates-marriage-ons</p>
<h5>Featured images:</h5>
<p><span class="license">License: Royalty Free or iStock</span></p>
<p><span class="source">source: http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900422110.jpg</span></p>
<p>Author Samantha S. Napier is from Chicago, IL and recommends Micro Vas Reversal for men wanting to reverse their vasectomies.</p>

Why Men Are Having Fewer Vasectomies In The UK
