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Female sterilisation counselling — DFSRH MCQ

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ModerateMale and female sterilisationFemale sterilisation counsellingDFSRH

A 41-year-old woman asks about laparoscopic female sterilisation. She has a BMI of 34 kg/m2, previous caesarean section, and is worried about failure. What would you advise this patient?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: D — Counsel on permanence, operative risk, failure risk and effective reversible alternatives

Female sterilisation counselling should include permanence, failure risk, operative risks and comparison with highly effective reversible methods. It is not failure-free and does not protect against STIs. LARC discussion is important because some methods have comparable or better typical-use effectiveness without surgery. The pearl is that informed sterilisation consent includes alternatives, not just the requested operation.

Reference: FSRH Guidance: Male and Female Sterilisation; NICE CKS Contraception