Permanent Contraception

Tubal Ligation for Female Sterilization

Failure Rate: 0.4%

Surgical sterilization is a very effective way to achieve permanent infertility and has a failure rate of only 0.4% per year. In women, the process is often referred to as "tying the tubes," but in actuality the fallopian tubes may be tied, cut, clamped, or blocked. This serves to prevent sperm from joining the unfertilized egg.

Although sterilization may seem an attractive alternative to reversible methods, as it dispenses with the need for forethought and planning before sex, it has its own set of drawbacks. It is expensive, costing between $1,000 and $3,000. Sterilization requires exacting abdominal surgery and anesthesia, both of which carry health risks. Surgical complications include infection and uterine perforation. The medical risks multiply if a hysterectomy is performed for sterilization (as opposed to simply treating the fallopian tubes); hysterectomy should never be used for this purpose. Long term health risks of sterilization include ectopic pregnancy, cervical cancer, menstrual cycle disturbances (increased bleeding and pain), and gynecological problems necessitating hysterectomy.

Sterilization should be considered permanent. Women are sometimes pressured into getting sterilized by well-meaning medical professionals or social workers. Women are especially susceptible to this sort of pressure right after a trying pregnancy or abortion. Many are under the mistaken impression that sterilization is easily undone. One in three sterilized women regret their decision at some point in their lives, and many seek to have the procedure reversed. Reversals are very expensive — costing $10,000 or more, and results are iffy. Common reasons women seek reversal are because of a change in marital status, the death of a child, or just because they want more children. For this reason, sterilization is not recommended unless you have a medical condition that would make pregnancy difficult or dangerous. Male sterilization, or vasectomy, is medically safer but should also be considered permanent.

Featured Links

• At this site:
  • Vasectomy Permanent Birth Control for Men
  • Essure Permanent Birth Control Implant for Women
  
  
• The following links are provided as an informational resource or counterpoint and are not necessarily endorsed by the author:
  • Femcare Makers of the Filshie Clip
  • The Greatest Modern Threat to Genuine Reproductive Freedom
  • India Bans Use of Quinacrine for Sterilizations

Image Credits: R. A. Hatcher et al., "Contraceptive Technology," 16th Revised Ed., Irvington Publishers, 1994. p. 386.

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