Is prostate cancer related to vasectomy?
One question that crops up over and over again is whether having a vasectomy (the procedure that stops a man from making a woman pregnant) can lead to a later diagnosis of prostate cancer. First of all, it has to be said that men who have vasectomies do appear to be more likely to have a diagnosis of prostate cancer 20 years later than men who do not have vasectomies. However, it also has to be said that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever of a cause and effect relationship. Indeed, there is good reason to believe that this is a statistical coincidence that has to do with the attitudes to health of men most likely to have vasectomies. Basically, men who have vasectomies exhibit what is widely described as “health-seeking” behavior. In other words, they are the type of men who look after their health, tend to go for regular check-ups, and generally have a lifestyle which could be considered as “healthy.” They are presumed to be more likely to have vasectomies because they have co
