Sterilisation is the process of completely taking away the body’s ability to reproduce through surgery or minimal invasion.

No. Most research finds no major changes in bleeding patterns after female sterilisation. If a woman was using a hormonal method or IUD before sterilisation, her bleeding pattern will return to the way it was before she used these methods. For example, women switching from combined oral contraceptives to female sterilisation may notice heavier bleeding as their monthly bleeding returns to usual patterns. Note, however, that a woman’s monthly bleeding usually becomes less regular as she approaches menopause.

No. After sterilisation, a woman will look and feel the same as before. She can have sex the same as before. She may find that she enjoys sex more because she does not have to worry about getting pregnant.

Sterilization is a complex issue encompassing personal freedom, medical ethics, and societal norms; it historically involved instances of coercion but is now primarily a voluntary family planning method with decisions guided by medical ethics, emphasizing individual autonomy, informed consent, and comprehensive information.

Sterilisation is intended to be permanent. People who may want more children should choose a different contraceptive method. Surgery to reverse sterilisation is possible for only some women—those who have enough fallopian tubes left. Even among these women, reversal often does not lead to pregnancy. The procedure is difficult and expensive, and healthcare providers who can perform such surgery are hard to find. When pregnancy does occur after reversal, the risk that the pregnancy will be ectopic is greater than usual. Thus, sterilisation should be considered irreversible.