Female sterilisation is a permanent way of preventing pregnancy. It blocks, seals or removes all or part of your fallopian tubes. This prevents sperm from reaching your eggs and becoming fertilised.
Female sterilisation is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. It does not affect your hormone levels. You also still ovulate and have periods.
Sterilisation is very difficult to reverse.
Choosing sterilisation
Only consider sterilisation if you do not want any more children or do not want to have children at all.
You may have tried other forms of contraception that have not suited you. Talk to your doctor about your options before you decide.
How sterilisation works
In a menstrual cycle, your ovaries release eggs into your fallopian tubes where they can be fertilised by sperm.
Sterilisation blocks the fallopian tubes. This means your eggs cannot meet sperm, so they cannot be fertilised.
The ovaries will still release eggs, but these will be absorbed into your body.
Risks from female sterilisation
There are some risks involved in the procedure, but these are rare.
Risks include:
- internal bleeding
- infection
- the procedure does not work - for example, clips can come off and tubes rejoin
There is also a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy if the operation does not work.
The failure rate for the procedure is higher among younger women.
If you have a part of your fallopian tubes removed, this cannot be reversed.
How female sterilisation is done
The surgeon will block your fallopian tubes (tubal occlusion) by:
- applying clips over the fallopian tubes
- pulling a small loop of the fallopian tube through a silicone ring, then clamping it shut
- tying, cutting and removing a small piece of the fallopian tube
You may have your fallopian tubes fully removed (salpingectomy).
Female sterilisation is usually done as a day case. This means you are likely to go home later that day. Sometimes it is recommended that you stay overnight.
Tubal occlusion
Your surgeon makes a small cut either:
- near your belly button (laparoscopy)
- just above your pubic hairline (mini-laparotomy)
They usually recommend you have a laparoscopy (keyhole surgery).
This is because it:
- is faster to do and is usually done as a day procedure
- has a shorter recovery time
They may recommend you have a mini-laparotomy if you:
- had stomach or pelvic surgery recently
- have obesity or overweight
- have a history of pelvic inflammatory disease - a type of bacterial infection
The surgeon inserts a long, thin instrument with a light and camera (a laparoscope) to see your fallopian tubes. They then use the laparoscope to block your tubes.
Removing your tubes (salpingectomy)
If a procedure to block your fallopian tubes has not worked, your surgeon may remove them. This is called a salpingectomy.
Before the operation
Your GP may recommend counselling before referring you for sterilisation. You can talk about the procedure, express any worries and ask questions.
Your GP will refer you to a specialist called a gynaecologist.
You can have the operation at any stage in your menstrual cycle.
Use contraception so you are not pregnant at the time of the operation. You'll be asked to take a pregnancy test before the operation.
Recovering after the procedure
You can go home when you've recovered from the anaesthetic, used the toilet and eaten. You cannot drive after the procedure, so you will need someone to bring you home.
Your doctors and nurses will tell you what to expect and how to care for yourself after the procedure. They may give you a number to call if you have any problems or questions.
Driving
Do not drive for 48 hours if you've had a general anaesthetic. Even if you feel fine, your reaction times and judgement may not be back to normal.
How you will feel
It's normal to feel unwell and a bit uncomfortable after a general anaesthetic. You may have to rest for a few days.
Return to work
You can usually go back to work after 5 days but this will depend on your general health and the type of work you do. Avoid heavy lifting for about a week.
Bleeding and pain
You may have some slight vaginal bleeding. Use a sanitary towel rather than a tampon until this has stopped. You may also feel some pain, similar to period pain. You can take painkillers for this.
If the pain or bleeding gets worse, contact your gynaecologist or GP.
Caring for your wound
If you had tubal occlusion, you'll have a wound and stitches. These stitches may be dissolvable. Or you will have them removed at your follow-up appointment.
If you have a dressing, you can usually remove it the day after your operation. You can have a bath or shower any time after that.
Having sex
Sterilisation should not affect your sex drive or your sex life. You can have sex as soon as it's comfortable to do so.
After the operation, you will need to use contraception until your next period. This will protect you from pregnancy.
Important
Sterilisation does not protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). You must use condoms.
More information on sterilisation
You can get more information on sterilisation from:
- GP surgeries
- contraception clinics
- sexual health (STI) or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics
- some young people's services
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
