Family Planning

Correcting Misunderstandings (see also Questions and Answers, p. 180)Female sterilization:ó Does not make women weak.ó Does not cause lasting pain in back, uterus, or abdomen.ó Does not remove a woman’s uterus or lead to a need to have it removed.ó Does not cause hormonal imbalances.ó Does not cause heavier bleeding or irregular bleeding or otherwisechange women’s menstrual cycles.ó Does not cause any changes in weight, appetite, or appearance.ó Does not change women’s sexual behavior or sex drive.ó Substantially reduces the risk of ectopic pregnancy.Who Can Have FemaleSterilizationSafe for All WomenWith proper counseling and informed consent, any woman can have femalesterilization safely, including women who:ó Have no children or few childrenó Are not marriedó Do not have husband’s permissionó Are youngó Just gave birth (within the last 7 days)ó Are breastfeedingó Are infected with HIV, whether or not on antiretroviral therapy (seeFemale Sterilization for Women With HIV, p. 171)In some of these situations, especially careful counseling is important to makesure the woman will not regret her decision (see Because Sterilization IsPermanent, p. 174).11Female SterilizationWomen can have female sterilization:ó Without any blood tests or routine laboratory testsó Without cervical cancer screeningó Even when a woman is not having monthly bleeding at the time, if it isreasonably certain she is not pregnant (see Pregnancy Checklist, p. 372)Who Can Have Female Sterilization167