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Please visit www.jewishwomenshealth.org for a wide range of articles and case studies on the topic of women's health and Jewish Law. This website is designed to assist medical practitioners in providing optimal care to their observant Jewish patients. |
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Sterilization - Vasectomy Abstract: Destruction of reproductive organs is prohibited by Jewish law. Therefore, vasectomy is not a permissible form of birth control. Discussion: There is a distinct commandment, based on Leviticus 22:24, forbidding sterilization of both people and animals. This is considered a biblical commandment for men. Thus, destruction of male reproductive organs, as with a vasectomy, is absolutely prohibited by halacha on a biblical level. This remains true despite the availability of vasectomy reversal surgery [1]. Performance of a vasectomy may even, according to some opinions, lead to a prohibition on remaining married. Implications for Care: Vasectomy is not an acceptable form of contraception in Jewish law. Other methods of contraception should be used when pregnancy must be avoided. Medical References [1] Practice Committee American Society for Reproductive Medicine.Vasectomy Reversal. Fertility and Sterility 2008; 90:S7882. https://www.asrm.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/News_and_Publications/Practice_Guidelines/Technical_Bulletins/Vasectomy_reversal(1).pdf Users of Internet filtering services: This site discusses sensitive subjects that some services filter without visual indication. A page that appears 100% complete might actually be missing critical Jewish-law or medical information. To ensure that you view the pages accurately, ask the filtering service to whitelist all pages under jewishwomenshealth.org. This material is intended for general information purposes only. The patient's individual circumstances should be considered when making specific treatment decisions. Reproduction of the contents of this article for other than personal use |