--- title: "Sterilisation and vasectomy" description: "How permanent contraception works, what to talk about before surgery, and why a vasectomy needs a follow-up test. Neither procedure protects against STIs." url: "https://myruva.co/learn/sterilisation-and-vasectomy" language: "en-GB" topic: "Contraception" published: "2026-10-18" updated: "2026-10-19" author: "Ruva team" reading_minutes: 5 --- # Sterilisation and vasectomy How permanent contraception works, what to talk about before surgery, and why a vasectomy needs a follow-up test. Neither procedure protects against STIs. *Written and reviewed by the Ruva team · Updated 2026-10-19 · Contraception* ## Key points - Sterilisation and vasectomy are meant to be permanent. - Long-acting methods you can stop are other options to talk about before you decide. - After a vasectomy, use another method until a clinician confirms it has worked. - Neither procedure protects against STIs. A vasectomy doesn’t work as contraception straight after the procedure. You need another method until a follow-up test shows it has worked. Both vasectomy and sterilisation are meant to be permanent. Take time to talk through the decision and the follow-up plan before surgery. ## What each procedure changes The procedure often called female sterilisation blocks or cuts the fallopian tubes. These tubes connect the ovaries to the womb, so blocking them stops sperm from meeting an egg. You may also hear it called tubal ligation. A vasectomy, sometimes called male sterilisation, stops sperm from coming out of the penis during ejaculation. Tubal sterilisation doesn’t change your hormone levels, and your periods carry on. If you used hormonal contraception before that made your bleeding lighter, stopping it can change your periods. That isn’t caused by the operation on your tubes. Tubal surgery may be done by keyhole surgery (laparoscopy). It may also be done by a mini-laparotomy, which uses a larger cut in the tummy. Recovery can take longer after the larger cut. Ask which type is planned and what help you may need afterwards. A vasectomy is usually done with a local anaesthetic, which numbs the area. The NHS says there is no evidence that it affects sexual performance or enjoyment in the long term. Neither vasectomy nor tubal sterilisation protects against STIs, but condoms can lower that risk. ## Deciding about permanence These methods may suit you if you don’t want children, or don’t want any more. You don’t have to have had children already. NHS guidance says you should have counselling before female sterilisation. This includes an explanation of the options and risks. You can talk about the chance of changing your mind without having to defend your choice. The FDA says permanent surgery may not be right if you’re unsure about having children in the future. Reversing it needs another operation, and that may not work. The NHS also says vasectomy reversal doesn’t always work and isn’t usually available on the NHS. CDC recommends talking about long-acting methods that can be reversed too. You can compare how each option fits what you want. This includes how you feel about an operation that’s meant to be permanent. If you still have questions, take them back to the clinician before agreeing to surgery. ## How effective the methods are The NHS says female sterilisation is more than 99% effective. US CDC guidance says 0.5 out of 100 people who have tubal surgery get pregnant in the first year of typical use. For vasectomy, it gives a failure rate of 0.15 per 100 users in the first year of typical use. The sources measure effectiveness in different ways. Pregnancy can still happen after permanent contraception, even many years after tubal surgery. These methods work very well, but being permanent doesn’t guarantee you won’t get pregnant. If you do get pregnant after tubal sterilisation, there is a higher chance it’s an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside the womb). ## Waiting for confirmation after vasectomy Keep using another method until a doctor confirms the vasectomy has worked. This is checked with a semen test. The NHS says this usually takes around 12 weeks. CDC recommends a semen test at 8–16 weeks. Follow your service’s instructions for the appointment and the sample. You still need this confirmation, however much time has passed. Ask how to give the sample, how you’ll get the results and who will tell you when you can rely on the vasectomy. Counting how many times you’ve ejaculated can’t tell you whether the test will show it has worked. ## Aftercare advice differs between countries For female sterilisation, NHS guidance says you need to keep using your usual contraception for a while after the operation. There are exceptions depending on the method you use now. CDC says you can rely on laparoscopic and abdominal tubal surgery straight away. Follow your surgical team’s instructions for your procedure and any prescribed contraception. Don’t use another country’s advice to change the plan yourself. Before you go home after tubal surgery, the team will explain how to care for the wound and when to get back to everyday activities. After a vasectomy, some pain and swelling in the testicles is common while you recover. Long-term pain in the testicles is an uncommon problem that’s worth talking about before the procedure. ## When to contact the team Call 999 now (UK) or 911 (US), or your local emergency number, for severe difficulty breathing or chest or upper-back pain after tubal surgery, or sudden severe tummy (abdominal) pain with marked dizziness or fainting. Contact your surgical team or NHS 111 urgently today (UK), or your surgeon or urgent care service (US and elsewhere), after tubal surgery for a high temperature, a swollen painful wound or a wound that leaks, a swollen painful leg, or tummy pain with vomiting. Get urgent medical advice now from a GP or NHS 111 (UK), or an urgent medical service (US and elsewhere), for pain low in your tummy, unusual vaginal bleeding or pain at the tip of your shoulder if you could be pregnant after tubal sterilisation, even without a positive test. Do not wait for a positive test. After a vasectomy, contact someone today if pain or swelling suddenly gets worse or isn’t getting better after a few days. In the UK, that’s your surgical team, an urgent GP service or NHS 111. In the US and elsewhere, it’s your surgeon or an urgent care service. A high temperature, a leaking wound or a growing lump in the scrotum also needs urgent advice. To talk it through before deciding, book with a GP or sexual health clinic in the UK, or your healthcare provider in the US and elsewhere. Bring your questions about permanence and other options. Ask what recovery involves and how the team will confirm the procedure has worked. ## When to get help - **Emergency:** Call 999 now (UK) or 911 (US), or your local emergency number, for severe difficulty breathing or chest or upper-back pain after tubal surgery, or sudden severe tummy (abdominal) pain with marked dizziness or fainting. - **Same day:** Contact your surgical team or NHS 111 urgently today (UK), or your surgeon or urgent care service (US and elsewhere), after tubal surgery for a high temperature, a swollen painful wound or a wound that leaks, a swollen painful leg, or tummy pain with vomiting. - **Same day:** Contact your surgical team, an urgent GP service or NHS 111 today (UK), or your surgeon or urgent care service (US and elsewhere), after a vasectomy if pain or swelling gets worse, you have a high temperature, or blood, pus or fluid leaks from the wound. - **Same day:** Get urgent medical advice now from a GP or NHS 111 (UK), or an urgent medical service (US and elsewhere), for pain low in your tummy, unusual vaginal bleeding or pain at the tip of your shoulder if you could be pregnant after tubal sterilisation. Do not wait for a positive test. - **Book an appointment:** Book with a GP or sexual health clinic (UK), or your healthcare provider (US and elsewhere), to talk about a permanent method, other options, or if you’re unsure about your decision. ## Where you live Services and advice differ between countries. - **UK:** After female sterilisation, the NHS says to keep using your usual contraception for a while, with some exceptions depending on the method. After a vasectomy, use another method until the doctor confirms it has worked. - **US:** CDC says you can rely on laparoscopic or abdominal tubal surgery straight away. A vasectomy needs a semen test to confirm it has worked before you rely on it. - **Elsewhere:** Elsewhere, ask the surgical team for local aftercare and contraception instructions. These procedures are meant to be permanent. ## Sources 1. [What is a vasectomy?](https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/vasectomy-male-sterilisation/what-is-it/), NHS 2. [Recovering after a vasectomy](https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/vasectomy-male-sterilisation/recovery/), NHS 3. [Complications of a vasectomy](https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/vasectomy-male-sterilisation/complications/), NHS 4. [Permanent Contraception](https://www.cdc.gov/contraception/hcp/usspr/permanent-contraception.html), CDC 5. [Birth Control](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-women/birth-control), FDA 6. [Female sterilisation](https://111.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/f/article/femalesterilisation/), NHS 111 Wales 7. [Ectopic pregnancy - Symptoms](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ectopic-pregnancy/symptoms/), NHS 8. [Abdominal pain](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003120.htm), MedlinePlus --- This guide is general information to help you keep and use your own records. It isn’t medical advice. If you’re worried about a symptom, or something changes suddenly, talk to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.