There are many ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy. However, not all conceivable variants are equally effective or not harmless. Sterilization represents one form of contraception.
What is sterilization?
A useful method of safely and permanently preventing pregnancy is sterilization, which can be considered for both men and women. Figure Sterilization in men. Sterilization is a sensible method of safely and permanently preventing pregnancy, and can be used for both men and women. A distinction is made between completely permanent and non-reversible sterilization by cutting the spermatic or ovarian ducts and clamping, which can be reversed later. There are various reasons why individuals decide to undergo sterilization in order to avoid having offspring. On the one hand, these can be hereditary diseases or, for example, just the lack of desire to have children.
Function, effect and goals
The aim of sterilization is to render infertile, although it can be applied not only to men but also to women. In both cases, it is indeed aimed and achieved that the affected person can no longer father or conceive children. Nevertheless, all other functions of the organism remain the same; in particular, sterilization does not lead to any restrictions of the libido. Sterilization is one of the safest methods of contraception. The Pearl Index is 0.1 for male sterilization and between 0.1 to 0.3 for female sterilization. The Pearl Index indicates how many fertile women have become pregnant despite the contraceptive being assessed. The lower the Pearl Index, the safer the method. Sterilization is frequently recommended by doctors, not least because of the safety of the method and the fact that it is largely free of side effects. In Germany alone, two percent of all men of reproductive age are sterilized, while the rate of sterilization among women of reproductive age is as high as eight percent. The course of sterilization in male patients naturally differs from that of female patients. In the case of men, anesthesia is generally not required; rather, it is used only at the express request of the patient. The necessary instruments are then inserted through a minimal opening in the testicle. There, the vas deferens are either permanently cut or clamped with a “clamp”. The advantage of the clamp is that sterilization can be reversed by subsequent removal of the clamp, whereas this is in principle no longer possible when the vas deferens are cut. However, the consequence of both variants is the same: because the vas deferens are cut or severed, sperm can no longer enter the ejaculate. This means that due to his spermless ejaculate, the man can no longer father children during sexual intercourse. In order to ensure this beyond doubt, the patient is asked a few days after the procedure to submit ejaculate samples to the attending physician for a control examination to determine whether the interruption of the vas deferens has really been successful. In women, sterilization is always performed under general anesthesia. Then, through an opening in the patient’s abdominal wall, the instruments are inserted to reach the fallopian tubes. Once there, the patient has a choice of two options: either the doctor clamps the ovarian ducts or scleroses them. The purpose is the same as in male sterilization: by clamping or cauterizing the ducts, eggs can no longer reach the uterus to be fertilized.
Risks, side effects and dangers
Sterilization is safe in two respects at once: both in terms of its effective protection against unwanted pregnancy and in terms of its possible side effects. Namely, none are to be expected. In the case of male sterilization, only minor pain may occur when the vas deferens are clamped or cut, which is said to be within limits. Female patients generally feel nothing because of the obligatory general anesthesia. Furthermore, the procedure has no effect on the sexual life of women or men. For example, it is not noticeable to the naked eye that a man’s ejaculate contains no sperm.In particular, sterilization does not affect libido. Sterilization does not change anything in women either. On the contrary, they continue to ovulate regularly, so in this respect there can be no sequelae of sterilization.