Female sterilization provides permanent and very effective protection against pregnancy. Female sterilization generally involves surgery, but most of the time it requires only light sedation and can be provided in an outpatient facility. It can be safely provided during the immediate postpartum or postabortion period or as an interval procedure (28 days or more after last delivery). Newer non-surgical methods of female sterilization, called transcervical approaches, involve reaching the fallopian tubes through the vagina and uterus. In this section of the toolkit you’ll find a compilation of research reviews on female sterilization, and a selection of resources on surgical procedures to female sterilization, transcervical approaches, and non-surgical or chemical approaches to female sterilization.