Female sterilisation: everything you need to know

If you don’t want any more children or if you don’t want children at all and you want to stop using contraception, you could consider sterilisation. Female sterilisation is an operation where the fallopian tubes are blocked to prevent pregnancy. Sterilisation is a permanent form of contraception.

Female sterilisation: what is it exactly?

If a woman is sterilised, her fallopian tubes are blocked. These tubes normally lead a woman’s egg from the ovaries to the womb, where a sperm cel can fertilise the egg. If the tubes are blocked, the egg won’t be able to enter the womb, which makes it impossible for a sperm cel to come into contact with the egg.

Also read: Male sterilisation: everything about vasectomies

Under anaesthesia

The procedure is usually carried out under general anaesthesia by your GP or a gynaecologist. They will make a small cut near your belly button or above your pubic hairline and insert a long, thin instrument that has a light and camera. They will then apply clips or rings to block the fallopian tubes, or tie, cut, and remove a piece of the tubes. You will be allowed to go home the same day after you’ve recovered from the general anaesthesia. You may have to rest for a couple of days and shouldn’t do any heavy lifting for a week. Usually, you can go back to work after about 5 days. You can have sex as soon as you you feel up for it.

Considering sterilisation

Sterilisation is permanent. You won’t be able to have children the natural way anymore, so this is a decision that you have to carefully consider. Your doctor will ask you to thoroughly review all your options before making a decision as well, otherwise you won’t be accepted for the operation. For example, I (the writer of this blog post) was relatively young when I asked to be sterillised (29 years old). You have to be able to clearly explain why you want to be sterilised. I was asked to consider far-reaching situations, such as finding a new partner or the death of one of my children. If your reasons for choosing this procedure are clear to you, then you will also be able to communicate this to others clearly. For me personally, those reasons were that I didn’t want to take hormones anymore, that my wish to have children was satisfied (I have a healthy son and daughter), and that I didn’t want to have any more children in the future. Asking my husband to get sterilised wasn’t an option for me either: this was my personal choice.

Advantages of sterilisation

Female sterilisation has many advantages. Of course, the main advantage is that it prevents unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. Another advantage is that you don’t have to use contraception anymore (however, you still have to use condoms to prevent STDs if necessary). Taking the pill, getting an IUD, or using condoms is all in the past. This way, you don’t have to put hormones in your body to prevent a pregnancy.

Disadvantages of sterilisation

Of course this procedure also has disadvantages. The main disadvantage is obvious: you can’t get pregnant anymore. So imagine you’re getting a divorce. You won’t be able to have any children with your new partner. Regretting sterilisation is quite common. You can read more about this below.

Another disadvantage is your mentrual cycle. Did you use to experience intense menstruation? Was there a lot of blood? Was your mentrual cycle very irregular? These things can happen again after your sterilisation when you’ve stopped using contraception with hormones, like the pill or an IUD. By the way, it is possible to leave the IUD where it is or continue using the pill after sterilisation.

Regretting sterilisation

Some women regret their sterilisation. These are the most common situations:

Too young for sterilisation

If you’re young, sterilisation may not be the best choice. You still have many fertile years ahead of you and your personal situation could change. Research shows that 20% of all women who have been sterilised when they were younger than 30 regret their decision. This is a large percentage compared to the 6% of women who regret getting sterilised who were 30 or older during sterilisation.

Relationship problems

If you and your partner have relationship problems, a pregnancy is the last thing on your mind. One third of all marriages end in divorce. It’s not unlikely that you do want to have children with your new partner.

Sterilisation during abortion

It is possible to get sterilised during an abortion procedure. These are two intense and life-changing decisions: you end an unwanted pregnancy and simultaneously make sure you can never get pregnant again. Some women who have experienced being pregnant eventually do develop the wish to have children after their sterilisation.

Costs of female sterilisation

Female sterilisation can be done on the NHS, if you get a referral from your GP. However, your GP has the right to refuse if they don’t agree with your decision. If you’re not referred by your GP, you can get the procedure done privately. This will usually cost between £2,000 and £3,000. Sterilisation reversal isn’t normally funded by the NHS, so you almost always have to pay for that privately. This can cost between £4,500 and £5,500.

Can I still get pregnant after sterilisation?

If you’ve been sterilised, there is still a very small chance you can get pregnant. Female sterilisation is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. How effective it is also depends on your age. The older you are, the less likely it is that you can still get pregnant after sterilisation. A more reliable method for preventing pregnancy is taking the pill. Female sterilisation is just as reliable as using an IUD.

A reversal operation to restore fertility

Sterilisation is essentially a permanent contraceptive. However, it is possible to get pregnant again after sterilisation if you undergo a reversal operation. Keep in mind that these operations are difficult and are not always successful. The chance of getting pregnant after the operation depends on the method of sterilisation and the place where your fallopian tubes are blocked.