Vasectomies are supposed to deliver sexual freedom. You have your sperm-carrying tubes closed and don’t have to worry about pregnancy again, right? Not so fast.
While a vasectomy is the only form of permanent birth control available to men, .01% of men’s sperm could still get through. While those are incredibly low odds, you don’t want that to be you if you’re unprepared. PLUS, even if your vasectomy is effective, it will take around three months (or up to 20 ejaculations) to completely eliminate all semen that contains sperm from your body.
This is where post-vasectomy test kits or semen analysis come in, but instead of heading into a lab for… I mean, let’s face it… the most awkward sample produced in your life – why not do it from home?
But what’s the difference, and what’s the best brand? We want to help answer those questions for you.
Tl;dr - What’s the best at-home vasectomy test kit?
Most premium, best experience
Legacy offers the most thoughtful and thorough service in testing post-vasectomy success. While it’s offered at the highest cost, you’ll have access to the most sperm health metrics, a post-thaw analysis, a personalized client dashboard with more data context, and on-call fertility experts for any questions you might have throughout the process. Legacy is also the only platform to take (some) insurance.
Most scientifically accurate
Fellow gives you more options in testing by offering individual tests for a semen analysis or post-vasectomy test, giving you more freedom in cost and semen data.
Their vasectomy test has the most straightforward and accurate results because it goes through a lab, while their semen analysis comes at the lowest price while also testing for motility and morphology (not available in home-only tests).
Alternative post-vasectomy tests to consider
Best bang for your buck: Ro Sperm Kit
Includes 1 year of free cryogenic storage, giving you ‘sperm insurance’ to increase your fertility options later on (even if you don’t think you need them right now).
Fastest results: LabCorp OnDemand
Instead of sending your sample to a lab and waiting 1-2 days, you can test and get your results from home. You won’t have as many metrics tested, but you’ll get your results in less than an hour.
Bargain, easiest to order: SpermCheck
Offers the cheapest and quickest access to results, albeit the most basic data (only tests for sperm count), but can even be ordered on Amazon.
Best at-home post vasectomy sperm test: Legacy vs Fellow vs Labcorp vs SpermCheck
Selecting a vasectomy home test kit is a personal journey, especially considering each assesses different things.
- Specific ‘vasectomy tests‘ give you the most basic information of whether there are any sperm in your sample to confirm that you can’t conceive a child (right now).
- Semen analysis or men’s fertility tests should be considered if you’re looking for more information, say, to plan a family, improve your fertility, or are considering freezing your sperm for a later date. It’s never too early to know where you’re at.
Here’s an overview of the leading online vasectomy and semen analysis tests. All of these tests are CLIA-certified, FDA-approved, and can be done from the comfort of your home (couch, bed, bathroom, whatever floats your boat).
Best Post Vasectomy Test Kit Online | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test type | Semen analysis | Vasectomy test OR Semen analysis | Fertility test | Vasectomy test |
| Price | $295 | Vasectomy: $139 Semen analysis: $189 | $199 | $64.99 |
| Time to view results | 2 days | 1.5 days | 45 minutes | 7 minutes |
| Sample evaluation location | Laboratory | Laboratory | At home | At home |
| What does the kit include? | -Sample cup -Transportation assistors -Return shipping items -Downloadable semen analysis -Client dashboard with context and personalized recommendations | -Container -Transportation assistants -Return shipping items -Custom report | -Sample analyzer -Containers -Droppers to measure your sample at home | -SpermCheck & semen transfer device -Collection cup -Solution bottle + instructions for at-home evaluation |
| Assesses sperm for? | - Semen volume - Concentration - Motility & motile count - Morphology - Post thaw analysis | Vasectomy: -Count Semen analysis: -Count -Volume -Concentration -Motility & motile count -Morphology | -Concentration -Volume | -Count |
| Add-ons available? | ✅ Sperm Freezing (+$145/year) | ✅ Cryopreservation (+$140/year) | ❌ | ❌ |
| Accepts HSA/FSA? | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Accepts insurance? | ✅ Limited states and providers | ❌ | ❌ Not for at-home collection kits | ❌ |
| Available in all US states? | ✅ | ❌ all except NY + RI | ✅ | ✅ |
| Website |
Do I need to confirm my vasectomy?
So, you’ve done the hard part, you’ve had the surgery, but now you have to… double-check? Think of it this way – a post-vasectomy test is the final exam of “how not to make babies 101”. Especially before abandoning other forms of birth control, it’s important to ensure the procedure was successful.
It can take 3-4 months for most men to eliminate all sperm from their semen, which is why there are some cases of conception right after a vasectomy. There are also very rare cases of pregnancy occurring from recanalization (in this case, your vas deferens healing itself), but this is why we have tests.
Allllllll of this to say, yes, we HIGHLY recommend a post-vasectomy test or semen analysis to confirm that your little swimmers are truly on a permanent vacation. And now that there are easy, at-home tests to accomplish this with,