There may come a time in your life where you are confident that your baby-making days have come to an end. Until now you may have never considered a permanent form of contraception and it’s important to be armed with the facts about your options. Female sterilisation is performed to prevent a woman from being able to conceive and fall pregnant. It is an operation involving an anaesthetic and should be given a great deal of consideration and thought beforehand as it is extremely difficult to reverse the process.

There are a couple of different types of female sterilisation. One procedure involves blocking or clipping the fallopian tubes. These are the tubes which transport the eggs from the ovaries to the womb. This is where they fertilise with sperm and potentially form an embryo. Without the fallopian tubes, the eggs cannot be fertilised.

During this procedure, the surgeon will require access to your fallopian tubes. This is usually done by laparoscopy which is a procedure involving a small incision in your abdomen close to your belly button. Through this small incision, the surgeon will insert a small device that has a light and a camera. Through this camera, the surgeon can properly access the area and further incisions may be made if a larger instrument or scissors is required.

You may have also heard people referring to having their “tubes tied” to prevent contraception and end their reproductive life. This is one of the surgical options. The fallopian tubes are cut and tied which stops them from being able to transport an egg from the ovaries to the womb.

Other procedures may involve using an implant to block the fallopian tubes. During this type of sterilisation general anaesthetic may not be required. Instead, the patient may be lightly sedated and no incision is required. The implant is fed through the vagina and cervix. The implant is attached to your fallopian tubes encouraging it to form scar tissue around it which eventually blocks the tube.

After your sterilisation procedure, your medical team will more than likely organize an x-ray or scan to monitor the fallopian tubes. You may be advised to continue taking your regular contraception until the procedure’s success is medically confirmed.

Sterilisation procedures are an extremely successful permanent solution to contraception, however, some of the routes take a couple of months to be completely effective. If you decide to opt for female sterilisation, the odds of success are really in your favour as the procedures, in general, have a 99 percent success rate. The procedures rarely come with any long-term effects on your health and they do not affect your libido/sex drive or hormone levels.

Most women feel very well following the procedure and some women return home on the same day. In general, it is normal to feel a little uncomfortable for a couple of days due to the physical implications, incision site and general recovery from an anaesthetic. Most women return to work and normal life within five to seven days post procedure. Heavy lifting should be avoided and a sanitary towel may be required for the small amount of vaginal bleeding that can occur.