[Not Available].

The rate of non-compliance with the post-vasectomy semen examination procedure at the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université Laval (CHUL) between October 1, 1985 and March 31, 1987 was 21%, one of the highest in the literature. The purpose of our study was to determine the causes of this situation. The socio-demographic profile obtained from the computerized files of 50 patients who did not comply with the procedure was comparable to that of the 183 patients who did comply. A telephone survey of 43 non-compliant patients was carried out. In 70% of the responses to an open question on the reasons for non-compliance, the subject cited on his own negligence. In response to the closed questions, the constraints involved in the semen examination procedure were cited most often (49%). In the responses to both open and closed questions, a lack of information was cited least often. There is not a distinctive profile among vasectomy patients at the CHUL that would make it possible to predict compliance. Despite the fact that it would be difficult to improve the factors associated with patient negligence, it might be possible to increase compliance by following up more closely and lessening the constraints.