Title: Counselling for sterilisation
Course: Family Planning - Ethiopia (Full)

Counselling for sterilisation

Sterilisation is a permanent method of contraception. Once the surgery has been performed, the individual cannot simply change his or her mind. A number of circumstances, usually hard to predict, may lead users to regret that the sterilisation procedure was performed, for example losing their children, getting divorced or remarried, or wishing for additional children.

Make certain that your client(s) correctly understand the procedure and its consequences. You must tell the client that VSC is irreversible. Once the client has undergone VSC it is extremely difficult for him/her to reverse the procedure and have more children. You can use the 'BRAIDED' concept for successful counselling, which you covered in Study Session 3.

The main questions you should ask during a VSC counselling session are covered in Study Session 3, Box 3.1. Be sure to question your client sensitively to find out their concerns about VSC (see Figure 9.1).

Figure 9.1 Take time and think twice before deciding on VSC. (Source: Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers, WHO, 2007, p.173)