Female sterilization (tubal ligation) is the top contraceptive method in the United States, though tubal ligations are slightly less popular now than they were 10 and 20 years ago. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “For men and women who no longer want to have children, sterilization offers a permanent, safe, cost-effective and efficacious way to prevent unintended pregnancy.” But KFF neglects to mention that both tubal ligation and vasectomy (male sterilization) come with real risks and side effects, some long-lasting or even permanent.
Here at Natural Womanhood, we believe in equitable family planning; that is, family planning is the joint responsibility of both the man and the woman, not his or her burden to bear alone. This is why we promote the use of fertility awareness methods, which enable couples to space pregnancies (perhaps indefinitely) without compromising either the man or the woman’s health.
-
Done with kids: thinking of sterilization?
By Liz Escoffery • December 12, 2015A couple may decide for many reasons that they are finished— or decide not to begin—having babies. Sometimes… -
Dr. Strangelove 2 or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Sterilization
By Natural Womanhood • November 16, 2014Dr. Carl Djerassi, one of the inventors of the original birth control pill, has just come out with… -
Your chances of getting pregnant after a tubal ligation or IUD placement may be higher than you think
By Christina Bennett • June 2, 2022If you’ve ever discussed your options for permanent or long-term contraception with your reproductive healthcare provider, you’ve likely… -
Considering tubal ligation reversal? Here’s what you need to know
By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • July 8, 2022Annually, approximately 700,000 American women undergo tubal ligation (female sterilization) for permanent contraception, a procedure commonly known as… -
Is a vasectomy reversal effective enough to help you become a dad again?
By Gerard Migeon • February 17, 2022“I’m 36 & DH is 38. He had vasectomy Nov ’15. We want to have it reversed to… -
The reality of vasectomy risks and side effects
By Gerard Migeon • February 17, 2022As reported in MEL Magazine, when William from Kentucky got a vasectomy at the age of 34, he… -
A vasectomy can’t repair a broken love life—and it might cut a relationship short
By Grace Emily Stark • February 14, 2022In researching the phenomenon of vasectomy regret, I came across a Reddit thread that gave me particular pause.… -
The Unethical Push to Sterilize Women in the Delivery Room
By Mary Rose Somarriba • December 14, 2020Many pregnant and postpartum women know what it’s like to field questions as they’re about to give birth and just after:… -
Post-Tubal Ligation Syndrome: When getting your “tubes tied” isn’t as tidy as it sounds
By Grace Emily Stark • August 23, 2021“Are you and your husband thinking about having more?” my well-meaning midwife recently asked me at my 6-week… -
IUD placement right after birth might be unethical—and unnecessary
By Kristen Curran • September 10, 2024Why we shouldn’t be placing “postplacental” LARC