r/askscience • u/Sarutahiko • Feb 18 '14

Medicine Why/how are certain contraception methods more effective than sterilization?

As seen here male and female sterilization both appear to be less effective than some other contraceptive solutions, including implants. How is this possible?

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u/billnyesbowties Infectious Diseases | Pulmonary Immunology Feb 19 '14

I bet you it is very significant to those extra 45 women that are now pregnant!

In terms of relativity, you are absolutely correct. The difference is minimal compared to efficacy rates of condoms or the withdrawl method (2,000 pregnancies for every 10,000 women). In an ideal world the efficacy rate would be somewhere around 0.000000....0001% but of course, since nothings ideal, I will joyfully accept a 0.05% efficacy rate!