Snip, Support, and Shared Stories: Exploring Reddit Users' Experiences With Vasectomy

Introduction Vasectomy is a common procedure for male sterilization. During pre-procedural counseling, men and their partners are often concerned with postoperative pain or sexual dysfunction. Research examining internet forums to explore these concerns is limited. In this study, we selected Reddit, a popular and anonymous online platform for user discussion, to qualitatively investigate patient experiences and questions surrounding vasectomy so healthcare providers may better understand patient concerns. Methods Threads, composed of a primary post to the website and associated comments, are organized into topic-focused forums known as subreddits. We collected threads from the Reddit group "Vasectomy" over a 12-month period. Terms searched included "pain," "volume," "erect," and "ED." Threads not focused on these terms were excluded. Two investigators trained in qualitative research used a modified grounded theory to independently code threads using key phrases. Similar phrases were grouped to form themes, which were refined into concepts. Results Threads discussed pain, ejaculate volume, and erectile dysfunction (ED) after vasectomy. An analysis of 87 threads with 1,052 responses revealed three themes: men on Reddit seek validation, recount their vasectomy experiences, and share anxieties. Concepts suggest men utilize the community to cope with these anxieties and that a discrepancy exists between expectations set by physicians and patients' actual postoperative experiences. Conclusions This study provides valuable clues about patients' perspectives on vasectomy and the information they seek or share online. Discrepancies exist between patient expectations and guidance provided by urologists, suggesting a need for more tailored preoperative counseling. By actively acknowledging concerns about vasectomy, healthcare providers may potentially be able to better understand and cater to patient needs.