# Vasectomy: What happens to the sperm?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vasectomy-what-happens-to-the-sperm/199999>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 6, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vasectomy-what-happens-to-the-sperm/199999 "2003-09-06T22:29:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vasectomy-what-happens-to-the-sperm/199999/1 "2003-09-06T22:29:43Z")

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The tube that allows the sperm to be ejaculated is severed in a vasectomy, right?

So does the body continue to produce sperm, and if so, where does all the sperm go to?

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**Author:** ![MrO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@MrO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrO)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vasectomy-what-happens-to-the-sperm/199999/2 "2003-09-07T00:50:04Z")

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Not a doctor, but a vasectomized person here. As I understand it, the sperm cells are still produced, but are absorbed by the bloodstream somehow. The semen, of course, is still ejaculated. I didn’t notice any change at all in the ejaculate, but then I never examined it under a microscope. (Someone else did a couple of times, however.)

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vasectomy-what-happens-to-the-sperm/199999/3 "2003-09-07T00:58:55Z")

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I think the sperm retrogrades into the bladder, but it may be absorbed by the blood, as MrO said.

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vasectomy-what-happens-to-the-sperm/199999/4 "2003-09-07T01:07:17Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by barbitu8 \*  
> **I think the sperm retrogrades into the bladder**

In a vasectomy, the vas deferens is ligated well below the urethra, so the little buggers aren’t going to get anywhere near the bladder. I think you’re somehow getting retrograde ejaculation mixed in there.

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vasectomy-what-happens-to-the-sperm/199999/5 "2003-09-07T01:38:03Z")

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The sperm are resorbed by white blood cells. This process occurs mainly in the epididymi, tubular structures right on top of the testicles. In about 5% of vasectomy cases, enough inflammation is caused by this process to cause some discomfort but generally resolves in a few months.

QtM, MD

“There’s a vas deferens between men and women!”

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**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vasectomy-what-happens-to-the-sperm/199999/6 "2003-09-07T02:36:57Z")

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\<groan\>

😉