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BEDFORD, Mass., February 16, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Anderson Biotests, LLC, in collaboration with the Bedford Research Foundation (www.bedfordresearch.org), recently published results of analyses of 5,408 post-vasectomy semen specimens (https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.13331) that reveal there is no need for at least 95% of men undergoing vasectomy to return a fresh semen specimen to a laboratory or the doctor's office for a sperm count within two hours of collection. The vasectomy is considered a success in both Canada and the U.S. if fewer than 100,000 motile sperm are present in a semen specimen collected a few weeks after the surgery and examined within two hours of collection. This requirement is thought to account for the poor compliance (about 43% of patients) with post-vasectomy semen analyses. The basic finding in the new report is that the vast majority of semen specimens a few weeks after vasectomy have so few sperm (fewer than 11,000) that motility assessment is irrelevant. This reported finding is a significant clinical advance, in addition to the ease of producing a semen specimen at home and mailing it to a clinically certified laboratory for sperm count.     

This advance is especially timely given the marked uptick in requests for vasectomy procedures by men in the U.S. following the Supreme Court overturn of Roe v Wade. Although vasectomy is a more successful sterility procedure than tubal ligation of women, vasectomy has been employed by fewer than 10% of couples seeking non-hormonal birth control. Many family planning experts have encouraged a wider use of vasectomy, a simple, rapid, safe surgical procedure followed by minimal discomfort and no change in sexual activity.  

The home collection kit itself is manufactured by Anderson Biotest and features a patented preservative that stabilizes the semen specimen for transport back to the lab for sperm count. Kit cost of $45 includes sperm count and report. Submission of two kits to fully verify the absence of sperm is recommended by physicians and professional societies. For more information, visit www.pvsa.org.