Your GP will discuss with you the potential risks associated with sterilisation, and the things you need to consider. These are outlined below.
Sexual health
Female sterilisation does not protect you against sexually transmitted infections. You should still use barrier methods of contraception, such as condoms, if you are unsure about your partner's sexual health.
Tubal occlusion
Tubal occlusion is a more complicated operation than a vasectomy, which is the surgical procedure used for male sterilisation. A vasectomy does not require access to the abdomen (tummy).
There is a very small risk of complications, including internal bleeding and infection or damage to other organs.
It is possible for sterilisation to fail. The fallopian tubes can rejoin and make you fertile again, although this is rare (about 1 in 200 women become pregnant again). If you do get pregnant after the operation, there is an increased risk that it will be an ectopic pregnancy (when the fertilised egg grows outside the womb, usually in the fallopian tubes).
If you miss a period, take a pregnancy test immediately. If the pregnancy test is positive, you must see your GP so that you can be referred for a scan to check if the pregnancy is inside or outside your womb.
It is very difficult to reverse a tubal occlusion. This involves removing the blocked part of the fallopian tube and rejoining the ends. Reversal operations are rarely funded by the NHS.
Hysteroscopic sterilisation (fallopian implants)
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has found that fallopian implants are a safe and effective method for female sterilisation and can be routinely offered to women. However, you must use another form of contraception until an imaging scan has confirmed that your tubes are blocked. Also be aware that there is a small risk of pregnancy even after your tubes have been blocked.
Research collected by NICE showed that possible complications after fallopian implants can include:
- pain after the operation – in one study, nearly 8 out of 10 women reported pain afterwards
- the implants being inserted incorrectly – this affected 2 out of 100 women
- bleeding after the operation – many women had light bleeding after the operation, and nearly a third had bleeding for three days
Periods
After female sterilisation, you will continue to have periods. If you previously used the combined contraceptive pill, you may notice that your periods are now heavier. This is not due to the operation, but because you have now stopped taking the pill, which can make your periods lighter.
