This information is for you if you:

• wish to use a permanent method of contraception; and
• have decided that you do not want more children, or that you will never want children.

It tells you about two kinds of permanent contraception (known as ‘sterilisation’) for women and men. They are:

• tubal occlusion for women;
• vasectomy for men.

This information aims to help you and your health care team make the best decisions about your care. It may help you in deciding whether tubal occlusion or vasectomy is right for you and which method is most suitable for you and your partner (if you have one). It is not meant to replace advice from a doctor or nurse about your own situation.

This information covers methods and procedures available in the UK.

• Some of the recommendations here may not apply to you; this could be because of some other illness you have, your general health, your wishes, or some or all of these things. If you think the treatment or care you get does not match what we describe here, talk about it with your doctor or with someone else in your health care team.

The leaflet can be downloaded as a pdf by clicking on the link below.

• Sterilisation for women and men: what you need to know