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Sterilization is a surgical technique leaving a male or female unable to procreate. It is a method of birth control.

• A vasectomy in males. The vasa deferentia, the tubes which connect the testicles to the prostate, are cut and closed. This prevents sperm produced in the testicles to be in the ejaculated semen fluid (which is mostly produced in the prostate and the seminal vesicles).
• A tubal ligation in females. The Fallopian tubes, which allows the sperm to fertilize the ovum and would carry the fertilized ovum to the uterus, is closed.

The closing of either type of tube can be done in several different ways, some of which are more permanent or guaranteed to work than others. The tube can be

• clamped off
• cut off
• tied off
• blocked

Vasectomy should not be confused with castration: vasectomy does not involve removal of the testicles and it affects neither the production of male sex hormones (mainly testosteroneTestosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. It is the principal male sex hormone and the "original" anabolic steroid. Sources of testosterone Like other steroid hormones testosterone is derived from cholesterol. The largest amounts of testo) nor their secretion into the bloodBlood is a circulating tissue composed of fluid plasma and cells ( red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets). Medical terms related to blood often begin in hemo or hemato ( BE: haemo and haemato from the Greek word for "blood". Blood of different spestream. Therefore sexual desire ( libidoLibido in its common usage means Sexual desire, however more technical definitions, such as found in the work of Carl Jung, are more general, referring to libido as the free creative, or psychic, energy an individual has to put toward personal development) and the ability to have an erection and an orgasm with an ejaculation are not affected. Similarly, in females' hormone production, libido and the menstrual cycleThe menstrual cycle is the periodic change in a woman's body that occurs every month between puberty and menopause and is related to reproduction. The average human menstrual cycle is 28 days long, but it can range from 21 to 35 days. It is controlled by are not affected.

When the vasectomy is complete, sperm can no longer exit the body through the penis and it seems that they penetrate the blood-testes barrier. Normally, the barrier keeps the immune system separate from the reproductive system. When the barrier is compromised usually by vasectomy, injury, or even a simple puncture from a biopsy, the two systems interface. This usually results in the development of anti-sperm antibodiesantigen An antibody is a protein complex used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects like bacteria and viruses. Each antibody recognizes a specific antigen unique to its target. Antibody structure Antibodies are glycoproteins foun.

In order to allow for reproduction (via artificial insemination) after vasectomy, some men opt for cryostorage of sperm before sterilization. However, the long term viability of spermatozoa in cryostorage is questionable.

In animals, castration (called neutering) and salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries and Fallopian tubes, or spaying) are used to prevent conception and, in females, heat, and to prolong the animal's life. Owners of pets such as cats and dogs are urged to have their pets spayed or neutered in order to prevent an increase in the population of stray animals.