WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF STERILIZATION?
Tubal sterilization requires surgery (an operation). There is some pain or discomfort for several days. It is best to have someone accompany you on the day of surgery. There is no easy way to check after tubal sterilization to see if it is “still working.” Tubal sterilization is very effective but definitely not 100% effective. The failure rate is as high as 1-5% in the 10 years after the operation. If you think that you are pregnant at any time after your tubal sterilization, return to the clinic immediately. Should a pregnancy occur, there is an increased chance that it will be outside of your uterus (called an ectopic pregnancy). It is difficult to reverse this operation if you later want to become pregnant. The operation to reverse tubal sterilization is highly technical, expensive, and its results cannot be guaranteed. Regret after tubal sterilization is greater if a woman is under 25 when her operation is done, if she divorces or remarries, if a child dies, or if a woman has just
