Mankind has been facing the problem of birth planning since prehistoric times. In that unpretentious era, the simplest way was infanticide – infanticide: sacrificing children to gods and spirits, leaving them to be devoured by animals, lack of care for sick and weak babies and periodic ritual extermination of almost all babies – as, for example, among the tribe of warlike Angolan nomads – Jags, where a woman was considered not so much a mother as an excellent soldier, who does not need to have more than two children.
In India and China, such “Spartan-demographic” methods persisted until the middle of the XNUMXth century. In fact, only Jewish and Christian morality protested against such birth control. However, other methods of contraception also did not arouse enthusiasm among the clergy: sex could only be justified by the highest goal – the birth of an uncontrolled number of babies, of which only a few survived. In Victorian England, a woman was presented as a “pure angel”, unfamiliar with carnal passions, and even more so with the latest medical research on how conception occurs and why pregnancy occurs. Nevertheless, centuries of pharisaic indifference to the demographic situation have passed, although the myths remain. Therefore, even today, many unpleasant associations are associated with the word “sterilization”: something ominous, from the history of barbaric experiments on people, is heard in the word itself. But since the enemy of truth is not a lie, but a myth, it is worth clarifying the confusion in the heads of fellow citizens.
Myth 1
Sterilization is constantly confused with castration – removal of the ovaries for medical reasons. They are not the same thing at all. The fundamental difference between sterilization is that it does not change the hormonal background: a woman remains a woman, just like a man remains a man. Although this operation is also almost irreversible, like castration: the restoration of fertility after it is almost impossible.
Myth 2
Contraception is a woman’s business. Most of both sexes are sure of this. Hence, a certain psychological attitude arises: even if a man is ready to undergo sterilization or take birth control pills, his partner vigorously protests against this. Ladies are afraid that protection will harm a man and feel guilty for shifting this task onto fragile men’s shoulders. These views are sinned not only in Russia, but also in traditionalist Europe, and only practical American women consider male contraception an excellent way out of the situation.
Myth 3
“I am sterilized – that means I am inferior.” The psycho-emotional state of a woman who agreed to sterilization is similar to the stress experienced by women who have learned about their own natural infertility. An infertile woman feels the unrealized motivation of motherhood, a sterilized woman, who has deliberately refused it, also finds herself in a situation where the personality is opposed to the biological program, the reproductive instinct. The body is overwhelmed with stress hormones, anxiety, melancholy, irritability increase so much that you have to resort to antidepressants. You can fight negative thoughts with medicinal decoctions, but sometimes you need to resort to medications or relaxation exercises to relieve stress.
Myth 4
“Sterilization is for the old and the sick.” Many people think that sterilization is an extreme measure, when a woman, for health reasons, under no circumstances can have children, no means of contraception are suitable for her, and because of this she constantly becomes pregnant and regularly has abortions. In fact, sterilization is indicated for mature women, but not necessarily for the elderly and not only for medical reasons, but also at the free choice of the woman herself or the man himself.
Myth 5
Many people believe that women and men over a certain age are no longer able to give birth to a child… But the body is quite capable of making a 45-55 year old woman happy with pregnancy. Much later childbirth also occurs, and the fertility (ability to fertilize) male sperm does not have age restrictions at all.
Thus, we entered the new millennium with a fierce debate about voluntary sterilization: is this family planning method acceptable or should be banned for ethical reasons. Meanwhile, in 2000, 145 million women and 45 million men worldwide were sterilized. In Europe and America, every fourth woman over 30 uses this radical method of contraception. In Russia, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, voluntary sterilization is allowed provided that there are no contraindications – severe malformations, disorders of the cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary and nervous systems, malignant tumors, blood diseases, as well as if there are two children in the family. It is allowed to undergo surgery and those who have only one child, but the woman must be at least 32 years old. In the antenatal clinic and in the department of gynecology, they will probably try to find out the seriousness of your intentions and, perhaps, they will try to dissuade you: such a decision should be balanced and not momentary.
Now about the operation itself. Female sterilization looks like this: a special instrument is inserted into the abdominal cavity through a small incision below the navel – a laparoscope, with which clamps or silicone rings are applied to the fallopian tubes. Thus, an artificial obstruction of the fallopian tubes is created, the egg is separated from the vagina, and conception becomes impossible. The use of a laparoscope makes sterilization theoretically reversible. The clamps can be removed and fertility should be restored – but this is a difficult and rarely successful procedure. During the operation, other methods are used: ligation, and then crossing the pipes; blocking of pipes by means of thermal energy impact; the introduction into the fallopian tubes of removable plugs, liquid chemicals that cause the formation of an impassable scar.
Male sterilization is called a vasectomy. A vasectomy involves cutting out a small piece of the vas deferens, the tube that carries sperm from the testicles to the prostate. The sperm ceases to be fertile, and the man loses the ability to fertilize, completely retaining all other abilities and the entire gamut of sexual sensations. There is a method of Chinese postoperative vasectomy with a special clamp, proposed in 1974: it reduces the risk of postoperative complications. During 10-12 sexual intercourses after sterilization, men are still recommended to protect themselves: a certain amount of spermatozoa still remains in the prostate. There were also unique cases when the sutures in the ducts were absorbed and the ability to fertilize was restored. Surgical restoration of fertility is a rather expensive operation, so you should think carefully about your decision.
On the one hand, sterilization is the most reliable method of contraception. On the other hand, using it, you are unlikely to be able to reverse this process. On the third, it is, albeit not the most difficult, but still an operation. On the fourth, this one-time operation is immeasurably safer than surgical abortion. Of course, sterilization is unacceptable for young people and self-confident childless workaholics: life can give a person a sudden sharp turn, a real revolution in the value system. But adults with a formed individuality and a flock of adorable kids are small, small, less, you can even think about this radical method of contraception.