To think it doesn't make sense to charge £300 for a vasectomy?

[LiegeAndLief]

We are DEFINITELY not having any more children, ever ever ever. Dh quite happy (well, resigned) to have a vasectomy. However, the GP says that they no longer do them on the NHS in our area and he would have to go to a private clinic, which will cost £300. We can't really afford this at the moment.

Now, I know that of course this isn't a life-saving or essential medical procedure, but given that the NHS would be willing to fund hormonal contraception for me for the next 20 years or so, surely it would be cheaper to just pay for dh's vasectomy? Or am I being hopelessly naive? I just don't understand the thinking behind this at all.

No, it's completely stupid - having children is a tax burden on the state when we can easily use immigration for people for work.

Taking steps to reduce population is the most sensible idea - it seems very shortsighted thinking.

Sell some stuff on eBay

Seriously thought? That sounds daft. Much easier for him to just get it done surely!

I see what you're saying, re. the comparison with contraception, but I guess NHS budgets don't work that way (the money saved on contraception for you wouldn't go to fund his vasectomy) and cuts have to be made in a generalised way that can seem nonsensical in individual cases.

Appreciate that you can't afford it now but £300 seems v reasonable for a private procedure.

YABU. The NHS will give you free contraceptives, it's up to you if you choose the expensive option.

"cuts have to be made" or not

YANBU. If a procedure can be done privately for £300, presumably including a profit then the cost to the NHS would be much cheaper than providing contraceptive pills or the cost of an unplanned child.
Makes no sense to me at all. In fact, I didn't believe you so I googled it. Unfair that it is only in certain parts of the country too. Taxation is the same throughout the country. The NHS should provide the same care.

Ahh, the postcode health lottery in action.

It's not right.

Sterilisation is a method of contraception so it should be available to all for 'free', as other contraceptives are.

Ha ha at cuts being made...

I agree that it seems very reasonable for private procedure (the clinic is private but not-for-profit which I guess makes a difference), but I just don't understand how this makes financial sense for the NHS. Are we really choosing the expensive option? Surely hormonal contraception for the rest of my fertile life would cost more in the long run? Plus of course I would think there is more chance of something like the pill failing if it's not taken right, and another pregnancy would cost a whole lot more!

We are lucky though in that we will be able to afford it at some stage - I woudl imagine that for some people it would be impossible.

x post with chopchop and the unplanned child...

YANBU

Yanbu and it would probably cost more in the long run to provide other forms of contraception.

Oh dear! May I ask what area of the uk you're in? DH is planning on asking for vasectomy later in the year!

Could you go to a family planning clinic to see if they do referrals

A vasectomy is one of the cheapest options in the long term, as halycondays said. There are any number of ways in which your mutual long term fertility might easily cost the NHS more than £300 over a decade or two. Terminations, for a start. The NHS would pay for any number of them, and they cost several hundred pounds a time. A contraceptive implant costs about £80 to buy, and I think they only last about 5 years. Four of those is dearer than £300. Even a very cheap form of contraception such as the pill, which is only a few pounds a packet, will also add up when the costs of employing someone to prescribe it to you and paying for a clinic for them to do it in is considered. In fact the more i think about it, the less likely it is that you'll cost only £300 in family planning budgets. It will probably be way more.

So its ridiculous really.

YANBU

Blimey, really? That's actually pretty crap that they're available in 1 area but not in others. DH (finally) decided to a vasectomy in the middle of January this year. Went to the GP the next day, was referred, had a consultation a week later, and he had it done on the 1st Feb. He's just gone back to work this week after milking it recuperating.

How much for you to get sterilisation?

Can I ask why is it usually always left to the man to get the snip when it's the woman who gets pregnant? Just asking not trying to offend or piss anyone off...

It takes both of the couple to conceive mumof1plustwins and female sterilisation is far more complicated surgery.

Sorry but whats wrong with you getting sterilised? Why is it always put on the man to have the snip? Id rather take responsibility myself which I did.

Contraception is as much male responsibility as female. I find it feels quite fitting that as the woman does the pregnancy/birth/breast feeding then the man could have the snip, which is much more simple surgery.

because it (vasectomy) is safer, less invasive, less likely to cause complications and more successful (lower failure rate) than female sterilisation. From a health economics standpoint vasectomy makes far more sense - my dh's was done in his GP surgery, he was in & out in 30 minutes.

Change the question round
Why should a woman have an invasive operation that has a lower success rate that needs more recovery time?

OP have you asked your GP how much it would cost if you had another pregnancy?

It would be odd if they'd fund female sterilisation but not male. Female is far more expensive, because of being more complex. In fact, I thought it was harder to get female sterilisation on the NHS than male- couples are expected to choose a vasectomy instead, due to the cost.

I have no idea whether they would pay for me to be sterilised. To those who asked why it should be dh - in the guise of our combined fertility I have already had an invasive operation (cs), had a tear which involved a lot of stitching and not very effective anaesthetic and spent a total of 5 weeks in hospital. Not to mention labour. And 2 pgs. Quite frankly I feel I have Done My Bit and now it's his turn. Fortunately he agrees with me.

Oh, and all that stuff everyone else said about it being safer, less invasive etc.

Poultry, I'm in Oxfordshire.

Ahh I always wondered, didn't realise vasectomy was preferred because it was easier and safer etc..