Male and female sterilization

Birth control methods

Sterilization is a highly effective form of permanent birth control. Sterilization means to permanently block the ability to have a baby. It should only be considered if the couple does not want to have any more children. Reversal is costly and does not always work. There are many different types of sterilization that can be performed on a man or woman.

Female Sterilization: The tubes that carry the egg from the ovaries (sac containing eggs) to the uterus (womb) are called the fallopian tubes. By blocking the fallopian tubes, the egg cannot meet the sperm resulting in a pregnancy. The tubes can be blocked by having surgery in the abdomen. If you wish to avoid surgery, there are ways to block the tubes with a permanent device insert. The device is inserted through the vagina, cervix, and uterus and placed in each fallopian tube. The body creates scar tissue in the tubes, and the egg is no longer able to pass through them. Of note, non-surgical sterilization is not immediately effective. There is little downtime with these procedures and most women are able to return to their daily activities the next day. The chance of pregnancy with this method is fewer than 1 in 100 women will become pregnant in the first year of use.

Male Sterilization: In this method, the tube that carries the sperm from the testicles to the penis is cut or blocked so that sperm cannot leave the body. Male sterilization is an in-office procedure that takes about 30 minutes to perform. The male is not immediately sterilized after this procedure. It may take up to 3 months before this method is effective. Therefore, a backup method must be used until a doctor has made sure there are not any sperm left. There is little downtime for the male after this procedure, and it is a highly effective form of birth control that a male can use. It should not be considered reversible. The risk of causing a pregnancy is less than 1 in 100 couples.