Sterilisation

What is sterilisation?

Sterilisation is a permanent way to prevent pregnancy. There are two types of sterilisation – vasectomy for men and tubal ligation for women.

Vasectomy for men

A vasectomy is a simple operation which is done in a doctor’s surgery or hospital.

During a vasectomy the tube which takes sperm from the balls to the penis is cut and tied off. After a vasectomy when having sex, you will still release semen but there will be no sperm in it. This means a woman cannot become pregnant.

Having a vasectomy does not affect your sexuality or sex drive – you will still have erections and orgasms and produce a similar amount of semen.

Tubal Ligation for women

Tubal Ligation is an operation performed in hospital by a specialist doctor. It is often called “having your tubes tied”.

During this operation, a woman’s fallopian tubes are closed or blocked. This prevents the eggs from entering the uterus so sperm cannot reach the egg.

The fallopian tubes are closed by either:

• Cutting and tying the tubes together
• Sealing them closed using rings or clips
• Burning them together using a mild electrical current

Can sterilisation operations be reversed?

In some cases, it may be possible to reverse a vasectomy or tubal ligation, but this will depend on a lot of things, such as your age, health, etc. Even if you have it reversed, it may not be successful so it’s important to make sure you don’t want any children before considering these options. Talk to your doctor or sexual health nurse for more information.

To find a GP (doctor) clinic or sexual health clinic in Hawke’s Bay, click here

Does sterilisation protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?

No, neither a vasectomy or tubal ligation protect against STIs. To protect against STIs, you should use a condom every time you have sex.