Research Briefs on Sterilization

Both male and female sterilization are safe, highly effective methods of permanent contraception. These briefs discuss research on improving vasectomy and nonsurgical methods of female sterilization and increasing use of these methods among couples who do not wish to have children.

New Review Confirms Benefits of “No-Scalpel” Vasectomy (2007)

Two different approaches can be used to access a man's sperm-carrying ducts at the start of a vasectomy. It turns out that one of the approaches has more benefits for both surgeons and their patients, according to a recent Cochrane review from Family Health International and colleagues from the United States, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Nepal.

Update on FHI's Current Research on Nonsurgical Sterilization (2007)

This update describes FHI's studies involving quinacrine and erythromycin.

Vasectomy: Evidence-Based Practices to Improve Effectiveness (2007)

Techniques such as cautery and fascial interposition can improve the effectiveness of vasectomy, making it one of the safest, least invasive, and most effective forms of permanent contraception. However, clients should always be counseled on the small possibility of vasectomy failure, the importance of using another method of contraception for the entire 12 weeks following surgery, and the permanence of the procedure.

Findings Suggest How to Improve Vasectomy Success Rates (2006)

Early recanalization — frequently associated with vasectomy failure — is more common than previously recognized, according to a USAID-supported study conducted by Family Health International, Laval University, and EngenderHealth.

Research Suggests Recommendations to Improve Vasectomy Uptake (2006)

While vasectomy is widely underutilized throughout Africa, uptake is unusually high in the Kigoma region of Tanzania. Research by the ACQUIRE Project and Family Health International has identified facilitators and barriers to vasectomy acceptability there, leading to recommendations for increasing uptake both within and outside the region.