Fireball
Well-Known Member
Hi folks
I know vasectomies have been discussed on here, usually by guys asking questions along the lines of how much it costs, where to get it done, etc.
Most of the answers are from guys who already have kids and don't want any more. I figured I'd add a voice from a different perspective, as well as share some details of my journey (including prices, places, and procedures).
Some info:
Who:
I'm a 28 year-old guy who is hell-bent on staying child-free for the rest of my life.
But...suppose that somehow it happens 10 - 20 years down the line that I have an epiphany (I'm betting that a major cranial concussion from a blunt object would be a likely cause of said epiphany) and I want to have a biological child.
Why:
Since vasectomies are not very reversible and Vasalgel will probably not be available in SA for at least another decade, I thought I'd hedge my bets by having some semen frozen and kept in cryostorage. Currently, sperm can seemingly be frozen indefinitely (they haven't found a hard limit yet), but its recommended storage life is 10-20 years. This is sufficient for a guy like me methinks.
How:
Some may choose to get referred by their primary doctor. I didn't get a referral from mine, I just went in my own capacity.
First I had to register online with Next Biosciences (also known as Netcells). The cost of this was R3,820, but since I'm with Discovery (on the Classic Priority plan),Discovery members get 25% off the cost of the freezing. So it came to R3,070.
Note: This R3,070 I had to pay for out of pocket.
It is recommended to have at least 2-3 samples frozen in case one of them is damaged when thawed.
For each additional freeze it is going to cost you R1,635 at the time of writing, which does not include the annual storage fee.
The storage fee is currently about R1,200 per sample per year, payable once-off annually in January. Failure to pay may result in your samples being destroyed.
When the time comes for you to retrieve your sample, there is a R700 handling fee.
Once I completed the payment, I had to phone and make an appointment with MedFem. They are a fertility clinic in Bryanston and are where you will do the actual 'donating' of your semen.
Over the phone I was told a bit of a gotcha that I didn't foresee. The R3,050 does not include the required seminal tests. This is a separate cost that I also had to pay for out of pocket, and came to R2,430.
The reason for the separate payment is that MedFem doesn't do the actual seminal testing, they send it to a pathologist.
Now for the practical side of things:
You're supposed to abstain from sex/masturbation for at least 3 days (72 hours) before the appointment to ensure that you have enough sperm and semen for collection. You will do this twice, because the first deposit is only for testing and will not be stored. You cannot deposit twice on the same day, so for those of you coming from further away, keep your schedule in mind. Speaking of schedules, the clinic only does seminal work from 7AM to 9AM on weekdays and not on weekends, so if you're coming from further away (like me) then prepare to get up early.
Once at the clinic, you fill in the necessary forms for bloodwork, address, billing, etc.
Then you go pay for the seminal tests, followed by having a nurse draw your blood.
Now it's show-time. You get escorted by the friendly reception lady to a room that looks half like a prison cell / quarantine confinement ward. There is a stash of fine vintage imported adult reading material for you perusal if you so wish.
She hands you a cup and leaves you to do what you do best. Once you've deposited all your future offspring into the cup, you seal it and place it in a chute where the reception lady will retrieve it from an adjoining room so you don't have to carry your potential lineage through a crowded reception room.
That's pretty much it.
Summary:
Total once-off cost so far for 1st sample: R3,070 + R2,430 = R5,500.
Assuming I am going to freeze two more samples: R1,635 x 2 = R3,270.
Assuming that I am going to store these 3 samples for 20 years: 3 x R1,200 x 20 = R72,000 (i.e. R3,600 per year).
There we go. Hopefully this provides some concrete information for those of you who were curious about taking this route. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer.
Next up: Getting my vasectomy. I'll either update this thread or make a new one when it happens and how the experience was.
I know vasectomies have been discussed on here, usually by guys asking questions along the lines of how much it costs, where to get it done, etc.
Most of the answers are from guys who already have kids and don't want any more. I figured I'd add a voice from a different perspective, as well as share some details of my journey (including prices, places, and procedures).
Some info:
Who:
I'm a 28 year-old guy who is hell-bent on staying child-free for the rest of my life.
But...suppose that somehow it happens 10 - 20 years down the line that I have an epiphany (I'm betting that a major cranial concussion from a blunt object would be a likely cause of said epiphany) and I want to have a biological child.
Why:
Since vasectomies are not very reversible and Vasalgel will probably not be available in SA for at least another decade, I thought I'd hedge my bets by having some semen frozen and kept in cryostorage. Currently, sperm can seemingly be frozen indefinitely (they haven't found a hard limit yet), but its recommended storage life is 10-20 years. This is sufficient for a guy like me methinks.
How:
Some may choose to get referred by their primary doctor. I didn't get a referral from mine, I just went in my own capacity.
First I had to register online with Next Biosciences (also known as Netcells). The cost of this was R3,820, but since I'm with Discovery (on the Classic Priority plan),Discovery members get 25% off the cost of the freezing. So it came to R3,070.
Note: This R3,070 I had to pay for out of pocket.
- Registration Fee - R820 (I guess for me it was R70 because of the Discovery discount)
- Initial Freezing Charge - R3,000
- First year of storage (included in Initial Freezing Charge)
- Blood tests (included in Initial Freezing Charge)
It is recommended to have at least 2-3 samples frozen in case one of them is damaged when thawed.
For each additional freeze it is going to cost you R1,635 at the time of writing, which does not include the annual storage fee.
The storage fee is currently about R1,200 per sample per year, payable once-off annually in January. Failure to pay may result in your samples being destroyed.
When the time comes for you to retrieve your sample, there is a R700 handling fee.
Once I completed the payment, I had to phone and make an appointment with MedFem. They are a fertility clinic in Bryanston and are where you will do the actual 'donating' of your semen.
Over the phone I was told a bit of a gotcha that I didn't foresee. The R3,050 does not include the required seminal tests. This is a separate cost that I also had to pay for out of pocket, and came to R2,430.
The reason for the separate payment is that MedFem doesn't do the actual seminal testing, they send it to a pathologist.
Now for the practical side of things:
You're supposed to abstain from sex/masturbation for at least 3 days (72 hours) before the appointment to ensure that you have enough sperm and semen for collection. You will do this twice, because the first deposit is only for testing and will not be stored. You cannot deposit twice on the same day, so for those of you coming from further away, keep your schedule in mind. Speaking of schedules, the clinic only does seminal work from 7AM to 9AM on weekdays and not on weekends, so if you're coming from further away (like me) then prepare to get up early.
Once at the clinic, you fill in the necessary forms for bloodwork, address, billing, etc.
Then you go pay for the seminal tests, followed by having a nurse draw your blood.
Now it's show-time. You get escorted by the friendly reception lady to a room that looks half like a prison cell / quarantine confinement ward. There is a stash of fine vintage imported adult reading material for you perusal if you so wish.
She hands you a cup and leaves you to do what you do best. Once you've deposited all your future offspring into the cup, you seal it and place it in a chute where the reception lady will retrieve it from an adjoining room so you don't have to carry your potential lineage through a crowded reception room.
That's pretty much it.
Summary:
Total once-off cost so far for 1st sample: R3,070 + R2,430 = R5,500.
Assuming I am going to freeze two more samples: R1,635 x 2 = R3,270.
Assuming that I am going to store these 3 samples for 20 years: 3 x R1,200 x 20 = R72,000 (i.e. R3,600 per year).
There we go. Hopefully this provides some concrete information for those of you who were curious about taking this route. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer.
Next up: Getting my vasectomy. I'll either update this thread or make a new one when it happens and how the experience was.
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