Sterilization Sterilization
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

WHAT IS CONTRACEPTION Contraception, also known as birth control, is designed to prevent pregnancy.

What are some methods of contraception? There are several general methods of birth control, including (but not limited to): BARRIER METHODS,such as condoms, the diaphragm, and the cervical cap, designed to prevent the sperm from entering the uterus. INTRUTERINE UTERAL DEVICE or IUD, is a small device that is inserted into the uterus by a health care provider. The IUD is more than 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. An IUD can stay in the uterus for up to 10 years until it is removed by a health care provider. HORMONE BIRTH CONTROL,such as birth control pills, injections, skin patches, vaginal rings, and implants release hormones into a woman’s body that interfere with fertility by preventing ovulation. STERILIZATION is a method that permanently prevents a woman from getting pregnant or a man from being able to get a woman pregnant. Sterilization involves surgical procedures that must be done by a health care provider and usually cannot be reversed.

The choice of birth control depends on factors such as a person’s overall health, age, frequency of sexual activity, number of sexual partners, desire to have children in the future, and family history of certain diseases. A woman should talk to her health care provider about her choice of birth control method.

It is important to remember that even though all these methods can prevent pregnancy, condoms are the only method that can protect against sexually transmitted diseases or HIV.


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