Female sterilisation - Introduction

Female sterilisation is an effective form of contraception that permanently prevents a woman from being able to get pregnant.

The operation usually involves cutting or blocking the fallopian tubes, which carry eggs from the ovaries to the womb. This prevents the eggs from reaching the sperm and becoming fertilised. It can be a fairly minor operation, with many women returning home the same day.

In most cases, female sterilisation is more than 99% effective, and only one in 200 women will become pregnant after the operation.

Who is female sterilisation for?

Almost any woman can be sterilised. However, sterilisation should only be considered by women who do not want any more children, or do not want children at all. Once you are sterilised, it is very difficult to reverse the process (see Female sterilisation - risks), so it is important to consider the other options available (see box, left). Sterilisation reversal is not usually available on the NHS.

Surgeons are more willing to perform sterilisation when women are over 30 years old and have had children, although some younger women who have never had a baby choose it.

How common is female sterilisation?

Every year, thousands of UK couples choose sterilisation as their method of contraception. It has become increasingly popular since the late 1960s. In 2009-2010, more than 10,000 female sterilisation operations were carried out in hospitals in England.

Types of female sterilisation

There are two main types of female sterilisation:

• when your fallopian tubes are blocked, for example with clips or rings (tubal occlusion)
• when implants are used to block your fallopian tubes (hysteroscopic sterilisation)

See Female sterilisation - how it is performed for more information about these two procedures.