Sterilization 203
Sex without intercourse
There are many ways to have sex that do not cause
pregnancy. Oral sex (mouth on genitals) and sexual touch
(touching the genitals or other parts of the body) are both
sexual activities that many couples enjoy. They have very low
risk of passing HIV/AIDS and other STIs, and they cannot
cause pregnancy. Anal sex also cannot cause pregnancy, although HIV/AIDS and
other STIs can pass very easily this way.
Avoiding all sexual intercourse is the most sure way to prevent pregnancy and
can be a good way to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS and other STIs. Not having sexual
intercourse may be very difficult for couples to practice for a long time.
Pulling out (withdrawal)
In this method, a man pulls his penis out of the woman’s vagina and
away from her genitals before he ejaculates. This helps to prevent
sperm from getting inside the vagina.
This method can work almost as well as the barrier methods,
if the man can pull out in time. But often men leak semen before
they ejaculate. A man may not be able to pull out before the semen comes. Or he
may not want to. This means the woman may get pregnant. This method is more
effective when the man passes urine before sex, and when it is combined with
another method like spermicide or a diaphragm.
Sterilization
There are operations that make it almost impossible for a woman or a man to have
children. Since these operations are permanent, they are good only for women and
men who are certain they do not want any more children. A trained health worker
or doctor can perform the operations in a health center or hospital.
The operation for women is more serious than the operation for men. The man
will recover faster from the side effects of the operation. So, if possible, it is safer for
a man to have the operation than a woman.
The operation for a woman (tubal ligation)
The woman’s
The health worker cuts or ties the tubes that carry the egg to the womb. tubes are cut
The operation takes about 30 minutes. It does not change a woman’s here
and
here
monthly bleeding. The operation will not affect her sexuality, and she
will be able to have a normal sex life and to have sexual pleasure.
There is a small risk you can still get pregnant after the operation, so
if you have signs of pregnancy, see a health worker. If your pregnancy is
in the tubes, it is very dangerous (tubal pregnancy, see page 220).
A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities 2007