A SMAll metal coil inserted into a woman’s fallopian tubes promises permanent
birth control without surgery.
About a third of women aged 35 to 44 in the developed world opt for tubal
ligation. The procedure involves cutting or cauterising their fallopian tubes,
the canal an egg travels down on its way to the uterus. Over the years, doctors
have tried everything from scarring to superglue to try to block the tubes, but
not always with success.
Now Conceptus, a company based in San Carlos, California, has developed a
slender coil, called STOP, made from a soft titanium-nickel alloy. The coil…
