It’s very unlikely. For most men, erectile dysfunction (ED) after a vasectomy is not caused by the procedure itself.

Vasectomy is one of the most reliable forms of birth control. It involves cutting, tying, or searing the vasa deferentia – the tubes that carry sperm from the testes (where the sperm cells are produced) to the urethra (where they are expelled from the penis during ejaculation).

In this way, the sperm cells’ path is blocked, greatly lowering their odds of fertilizing an egg cell and creating a pregnancy. (The sperm cells are absorbed into the body.)

Note: Men should know that the birth control effects of vasectomy are not immediate. Sperm can still be present in the vasa deferentia for several months, and couples should still use another birth control method until a doctor advises otherwise.