Forms of sterilization include boiling, dry heat, exposure to steam at high pressure, exposure to various gases or liquids, or exposure to radioactivity. The method used depends on the material to be sterilized.
Sterilization is also the term used to describe an operation to make a man or woman infertile.
A man can be sterilized by having a vasectomy, a simple operation that can be performed under a local anesthetic, usually taking less than half an hour. There are two procedures that can be used to sterilize a woman, salpingectomy or tubal ligation. Salpingectomy is the surgical removal of both fallopian tubes. Tubal ligation is the alteration of the fallopian tubes, usually by cutting them and tying off the ends. The operations are normally performed by means of an abdominal incision, under a general anesthetic.