Legal status of human sterilization by country
This article provides an overview of human spousal consent.[1]
Country | Compulsory | Voluntary for contraceptive purposes | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Albania | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Andorra | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | Since 1996 |
Argentina | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Australia | Yes[1] | Since 1977 | |
Austria | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 25+ years for contraceptive purposes. Since 1974 |
Bahamas | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Bangladesh | For refugees | Yes[1] | |
Belarus | Yes[1] | 35+years or at least two children | |
Belgium | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Belize | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Botswana | Yes[1] | ||
Brazil | Illegal in most cases, although both the US and Brazilian governments have carried out sterilisation of Brazilians in the 20th and 21st centuries under various rationales | Yes[1][2] | 21+ years or <21 with two children for contraceptive purposes. Since 2022 |
Canada | Varies per province; sterilisations particularly of indigenous individuals performed in the 20th and 21st centuries | Yes[1] | Since 1979 |
Cape Verde | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Chile | Yes[1] | Since 2001 | |
China | De juris illegal but practiced, particularly against Uyghurs | Yes[1] | |
Colombia | Yes[1] | Since 1984 | |
Comoros | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Costa Rica | Yes[1] | Since 1999 | |
Côte d'Ivoire | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Croatia | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 35+ for contraceptive purposes. Since 1978 |
Cuba | Yes[1] | 32+ years with several children for contraceptive purposes. Since 1968 | |
Cyprus | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Czech Republic | Yes[1] | 21+ years for contraceptive reasons. Since 2012 | |
Denmark | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 25+ years for contraceptive reasons. Since 1976 |
Dominican Republic | Yes[1] | 40+ years with one child, 35+ with three children, 30+ with five children or 25+ with six children for contraceptive purposes. Since 1972 | |
Ecuador | Yes[1] | 25+ years with three children for contraceptive purposes. Since 1992 | |
El Salvador | Yes[1] | Since 1979 | |
Estonia | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[3] | 35+years or at least 3 children. Since 1998 |
Fiji | Yes[1] | ||
Finland | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 30+ years or <30 years and three children for contraceptive purposes. Since 1985 |
France | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | Since 2001 |
Georgia | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[2] | As of 2009 |
Germany | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | |
Ghana | Yes[1] | ||
Greece | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Guatemala | No[1] | ||
Honduras | Yes[1] | 35+ years with one child or 24–43 with three children for contraceptive purposes. | |
Hungary | Yes[1] | 40+ years or 35+ years with three children or 30+ years with four children. | |
Iceland | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 25+ years for contraceptive purposes |
India | Yes[1] | 20+ (women) or 25+ (men) years for contraceptive purposes, less if couple has two children. Spousal consent and has to have had one child that is a year old | |
Indonesia | Yes[1] | ||
Iran | No | In 2021 sterilization was prohibited except for medical purposes.[4] | |
Ireland | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Israel | Yes[1] | ||
Italy | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | |
Japan | No[1] | Current law since 1996. In practice, contraceptive sterilizations are performed routinely, with health reasons given as the justification.[1] | |
Kenya | Yes[1] | ||
Kyrgyzstan | Yes[5] | ||
Latvia | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Lesotho | Yes[1] | ||
Liechtenstein | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 25+ years for contraceptive purposes. |
Lithuania | No[6] | ||
Luxembourg | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | |
Mali | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Malaysia | No | According to 1981 fatwa sterilization is forbidden for men and women. Temporary contraceptive methods may be permitted for health and economic reasons.[7] | |
Malta | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Mexico | Yes[1] | ||
Moldova | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[2] | As of 2009 |
Monaco | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Mongolia | Yes[1] | Woman must have many[quantify] children | |
Montenegro | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Morocco | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Myanmar | No[1] | Since 1963 | |
Namibia | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Nepal | Yes[1] | ||
Netherlands | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | |
New Zealand | Yes[1] | ||
Nicaragua | Yes[1] | ||
Niger | Yes[1] | 35+ years with four children for contraceptive purposes. | |
Nigeria | Yes[1] | ||
North Macedonia | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[2] | As of 2009 |
Norway | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 25+ years for contraceptive purposes |
Pakistan | Yes[1] | ||
Panama | Yes[1] | Five children for contraceptive purposes. | |
Paraguay | Yes[1] | ||
Peru | Yes[1] | ||
Philippines | Yes[1] | ||
Poland | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
No | Reproductive sterilisation of men (vasectomy) is legal in Poland, while other sterilization methods have been defined as a criminal act since 1997[8]: 19 and remains so as of 5 September 2019[update], under Article 156 §1, which also covers making someone blind, deaf or mute, of the 1997 law.[9]: 64 The original 1997 law punished contraventions with a prison sentence of one to ten years[8] and the updated law as of 5 September 2019[update] sets a prison sentence of at least 3 years.[9] The prison sentence is a maximum of three years if the sterilisation is involuntary, under Art. 156 §2.[8][9]: 64 |
Portugal | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 25+ years for contraceptive purposes. |
Romania | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | |
Russia | Yes[1] | 35+ years or <35 with two children. | |
San Marino | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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Singapore | Yes[1] | ||
Slovenia | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 35+ years for contraceptive purposes |
Rwanda | No[1] | ||
Saudi Arabia | No[1] | ||
Senegal | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Slovak Republic | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
South Africa | Yes[1] | ||
South Korea | Yes[1] | Since 1973 | |
Spain | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | |
Sri Lanka | Yes[1] | ||
Sudan | No[1] | Since 1990 | |
Sweden | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | 25+ years for contraceptive purposes; 18–25 for eugenic, health (women only) or sex change reasons. |
Switzerland | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | |
Taiwan | Yes[1] | Since 1984 | |
Tanzania | Yes[1] | ||
Thailand | Yes[1] | ||
Trinidad and Tobago | Yes[1] | ||
Tunisia | Yes[1] | Since 1973. At least four children required. | |
Turkey | Yes[1] | Since 1983 | |
Uganda | Yes[1] | Since 1993 | |
Ukraine | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
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United Arab Emirates | No | Women can opt for sterilisation if they have had "any medical illness that could endanger their life in future due to pregnancy".[10] | |
United Kingdom | Illegal since 2014 when the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence came into effect
|
Yes[1] | |
United States | Yes[1] | ||
Uruguay | Yes[2] | As of 2009 | |
Venezuela | No[1] | Since 1971 | |
Vietnam | Yes[1] | Since 1989 | |
Zambia | Yes[1] | Since 1965 | |
Zimbabwe | Yes[1] | Since 1985 |
See also
References
- ^ OCLC 49322541.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Reproductive Health Laws Around the World
- ^ "Raseduse katkestamise ja steriliseerimise seadus". Riigiteataja. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ^ Iran: Population Law Violates Women’s Rights, 10 November 2021
- ^ "Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on the protection of citizens' health in the Kyrgyz Republic".
- ^ "2016–2017 Human Rights in Lithuania" (PDF).
Lithuania has not legalized voluntary surgical sterilization, as a family planning method
- ^ "Reproductive rights: Malaysia" (PDF). p. 94.
- ^ a b c "553 Ustawa z dnia 6 czerwca 1997 r. – Kodeks karny" [553 Law of 6 June 1997 – Criminal code] (PDF). Sejm. 6 June 1997. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "Ustawa z dnia 6 czerwca 1997 r. – Kodeks karny – Opracowano na podstawie t.j. Dz. U. z 2018 r. poz. 1600, 2077, z 2019 r. poz. 730, 858, 870, 1135, 1579" [Law of 6 June 1997 – Criminal code – Updated on the basis of Dz. U. 2018 parts 1600, 2077, and Dz. U. 2019 parts 730, 858, 870, 1135, 1579] (PDF). Sejm. 5 September 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ Muslim, Nina (2 April 2008). "Women now able to undergo sterilisation at private hospitals". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 17 December 2021.