| Sterilization | |
|---|---|
| Background | |
| Type | Sterilization |
| First use | Ancient |
| Failure rates (first year) | |
| Perfect use | under 1% |
| Typical use | under 1% |
| Usage | |
| Duration effect | Permanent |
| Reversibility | Difficult and expensive, vasectomy reversal & tubal reversal may be possible |
| User reminders | 3 negative semen samples required following vasectomy |
| Clinic review | None |
| Advantages and disadvantages | |
| STI protection | None |
| Benefits | Permanent methods that require no further user actions |
| Risks | Operative and postoperative complications |
Sterilization (also spelled sterilisation) is any of a number of medical methods of permanent birth control that intentionally leaves a person unable to reproduce. Sterilization methods include both surgical and non-surgical options for both males and females. Sterilization procedures are intended to be permanent; reversal is generally difficult.
There are multiple ways of having sterilization done, but the two that are used most frequently are tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men. There are many different ways tubal sterilization can be accomplished. It is extremely effective and in the United States surgical complications are low. With that being said, tubal sterilization is still a method that involves surgery, so there is still a danger. Women that chose a tubal sterilization may have a higher risk of serious side effects, more than a man has with a vasectomy. Pregnancies after a tubal sterilization can still occur, even many years after the procedure. It is not very likely, but if it does happen there is a high risk of ectopic gestation. Statistics confirm that a handful of tubal sterilization surgeries are performed shortly after a vaginal delivery mostly by minilaparotomy.[1]
In some cases, sterilization can be reversed but not all. It can vary by the type of sterilization performed.[1]