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There
are two types of Female Sterilization: Tubal Ligation is the a one-time outpatient surgery to cut or tie the fallopian tubes. The other options involve the placement of a tiny device into the fallopian tubes around which scar tissue grows and after about three months the tubes are blocked. (Essure or Adiana)
Tubal Ligation, commonly called “getting your tubes tied,” is a surgical sterilization technique for women. This procedure closes the fallopian tubes and stops the egg soon after ovulation as it travels through the fallopian tubes toward the uterus from the ovary. It prevents sperm from reaching the fallopian tube to fertilize an egg. In a tubal ligation, fallopian tubes are cut, burned, or blocked with rings, bands or clips. The surgery is effective immediately. Tubal ligation is 99.5% effective as birth control. Sterilization does not protect against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. With Essure and Adiana, a follow up test is required after three months to determine if the tubes are blocked. A backup birth control method is necessary until the test results show that the tubes are completely blocked. |
Procedure • Your Health • Future
Fertility • Sexuality • Advantages • Disadvantages
Deciding • History of Abuse • Further
Info • PDF
Procedure
Tubal ligation is a relatively simple out-patient surgery done in a clinic, doctor's office, or hospital. It can be performed under local or general anesthesia. Mini-laparotomies and laparoscopies are the two most common techniques for female sterilization. Other procedures include laparotomy, culpotomy, culdoscopy, hysteroscopy, and hysterectomy. Each procedure carries different risks and benefits. Be sure the clinic discusses surgical options with you, describes the risks, and answers all of your questions before the surgery.
In the laparoscopy procedure, the abdomen is filled with carbon dioxide gas so that the abdominal wall balloons away from the uterus and tubes. The surgeon makes a small cut just below the navel and inserts a laparoscope, a small telescope-like instrument. A second incision is made just above the pubic hairline to allow the entrance of the instrument that will cut, sew or burn the tubes. The surgery takes about half an hour.
There may be up to several months delay between your request for surgery and the day it is performed. You may want to consider other birth control methods in the meantime. Young women with no children may have difficulty finding a surgeon to perform the procedure.
After surgery, it is recommended that women take 2 to 3 days off and only perform light activities for a week. Sexual activity can start again when a woman feels comfortable, usually after a week. Women who have surgery performed through their vagina are advised not to put anything into their vagina for 2 weeks to avoid infection.
With Essure and Adiana, the insertion of the device into fallopian tube is usually done at a clinic. Then, a woman must wait about three months before she can be tested in a hospital to see if the tubes are blocked. During the three months, another method of birth control is necessary.
Although pregnancy is unlikely, there is a slightly higher risk of ectopic pregnancy after a tubal ligation. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg attaches and grows outside the uterus. This can be very dangerous and requires immediate medical attention. It is very important to contact a doctor or hospital immediately if you suspect you are pregnant after having a tubal ligation or Essure or Adiana. Find more about treatment for Ectopic Pregnancy at http://www.ectopic.org.uk.
Abnormal bleeding and bladder infections are risks after tubal ligations. Each type of surgery also involves different risks.
Some women report having post-tubal sterilization syndrome. The symptoms include irregular and painful periods, mid-cycle bleeding, or no periods. While some physicians believe there is no evidence that this syndrome exists, others believe more research should be done.
Women who have reversal surgery and become pregnant have a higher chance of ectopic pregnancy.
Future Fertility
Sterilization is considered a permanent method of birth control. Surgery to reverse
a tubal ligation, Essure or Adiana is not common and probably not effective. In addition, reversals are difficult
and expensive.
Women
are fully able to enjoy sex after a sterilization. Usually, hormone levels and
a woman's menstrual cycle are not noticeably changed by the process. Ovaries
continue to release eggs, but they stop in the tubes and are reabsorbed by the
body. Some women experience improved sexual pleasure because they are less worried
about becoming pregnant.
Advantages
- Permanent birth control
- Immediately effective
- Allows sexual
spontaneity
- Requires no daily attention
- Not messy
- Cost-effective
in the long run
Disadvantages
Tubal ligation, Essure or Adiana is considered permanent.
The decision to have it done should not be made lightly. Ask yourself: would you
change your mind if major changes in your life occurred, including a separation,
or even the death of a partner or child? Consider as many possibilities as you
can before making your decision. Know your options.
History
of Abuse
Sterilization has a
long history of abuse in the United States and around the world. It was once common
to perform sterilizations on all handicapped women. In the past, many poor women
and women of color were refused medical care unless they agreed to be sterilized.
Sterilization has often been proposed as a solution to poverty. Forced sterilization
is a violation of human rights.
Cedar River Clinics in Renton and Tacoma, WA make birth control and abortion accessible so that women may decide their futures.
www.CedarRiverClinics.org or 800-572-4223
www.Birth-Control-Comparison.info
www.facebook.com/CedarRiverClinics
June 8, 2011
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