3 Pros & cons of permanent birth control

3 Pros & cons of permanent birth control

Permanent birth control is using medical intervention to completely stop or inhibit reproduction. There are many ways to do this if you want to avoid becoming pregnant or if you would like to stop having children.

For women:

  • Tubal ligation: This procedure cuts the fallopian tubes or ties them to prevent entry of sperm or exit of eggs.
  • Essure Implant: This is a non-surgical procedure where a metal device is inserted into the fallopian tube. After a while cells grow on the tube and block the entry of sperm. Women allergic to metal can have serious after effects.

For men:

  • Vasectomy:   In some cases, a vasectomy can be reversed but the rate of failure is very high and it is a risky operation as well.

Pros

  1. Permanent birth control is almost 99% effective, making it an effective way to prevent pregnancy.
  2. The permanent method does not interfere with hormones, libido, or the ability of the person to perform sexually.
  3. It is a permanent solution.

Cons

  1. There are some serious after effects of such a procedure. It is, after all, an unnatural process. Women may be experience bleeding, nausea, pain, infection and many other complications (for weeks!) after the procedure.
  2. A permanent birth control procedure does not provide protection from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or even AIDS. This means, condoms will still need to be used.
  3. For women who have had a tubal ligation, there is a chance of having a tubal pregnancy. This is very dangerous for the woman and fatal for the unborn child.