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Ask the Doctor: A Plausible Risk?
Vasectomy remains one of the most effective means of birth
control, with an average reliability of 99%. Some men, though, balk at
undergoing the procedure in light of studies that have suggested an increased
risk of prostate cancer in men who have undergone vasectomy. However, there is
no plausible reason why vasectomy, which involves tying and cutting the tubes
that carry sperm, would increase prostate cancer risk. Men who undergo vasectomy
tend to be health-conscious individuals who see their physicians frequently. As
such, their higher prostate-cancer rates, found by some studies, may just be a
reflection of better diagnosis. A recent review by the National Institutes of
Health concluded that the overall evidence suggests no association between
vasectomy and cancer.
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