Note: Information provided on this page is for reference only, please seek medical assistance when in doubt
Sterilization which is also spelled sterilisation in birth control refers to any of a number
of medical techniques that intentionally leave a person unable to reproduce. Sterilization methods
include both surgical and non-surgical, and exist for both males and females. Sterilization procedures
are intended to be permanent; reversal is generally difficult or impossible.
Surgical sterilization is available in the form of tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men.
There are no significant long-term side effects, and tubal ligation decreases the risk of ovarian cancer.
Short term complications are twenty times less likely from a vasectomy than a tubal ligation. After a
vasectomy, there may be swelling and pain of the scrotum which usually resolves in a week or two. With
tubal ligation, complications occur in 1 to 2 percent of procedures with serious complications usually
due to the anesthesia. Neither method offers protection from sexually transmitted infections.
Surgical sterilization methods include:
- Tubal ligation in females, known popularly as "having one's tubes tied". The Fallopian
tubes, which allow the sperm to fertilize the ovum and would carry the fertilized ovum to the uterus,
are closed. This generally involves a general anesthetic and a laparotomy or laparoscopic approach to
cut, clip or cauterize the fallopian tubes.
- Vasectomy in males. The vasa deferentia, the tubes that connect the testicles to the prostate,
are cut and closed. This prevents sperm produced in the testicles from entering the ejaculated
semen.
- Hysterectomy in females. The uterus is surgically removed, permanently preventing pregnancy and
some diseases, such as uterine cancer.
- Castration in males. The testicles are surgically removed. This is frequently used for the
sterilization of animals, but rarely for humans.
Decision for sterilization is some time regretted in some men and women. Of women aged over 30
who have undergone tubal ligation, about 5% regret their decision, as compared with 20% of women age
under 30. By contrast, less than 5% of men are likely to regret sterilization. Men more likely to regret
sterilization are younger, have young or no children, or have an unstable marriage.
Although sterilization is a permanent procedure, it is possible to attempt a tubal reversal to
reconnect the fallopian tubes or a vasectomy reversal to reconnect the vasa deferentia. In women the
desire for a reversal is often associated with a change in spouse.
Pregnancy success rates after tubal reversal are between 31% and 88%. The number of males who
request reversal is between 2% and 6%. Rates of success in fathering another child after reversal are
between 38% and 84%; with success being lower the longer the time period between the original procedure
and the reversal. Sperm extraction followed by in vitro fertilization may also be an option in men.