Quinacrine

The controversial chemical sterilization method

Quinacrine is an old drug, originally used to treat malaria in the Second World War. A pair of US doctors discovered that it also caused scarring of tissue, and thought of using it as for sterilization. The technique consists of inserting several small pills into the top of the uterus. There they dissolve, creating scar tissue in the upper womb and nearby fallopian tubes which should block the fallopian tubes and thus prevent conception.

Advantages:

It is cheap, costing less than $1 per sterilization.

It can be performed by paramedical staff.

It does not require hospitalization or anesthesia (though it can be painful!), and therefore many women can continue working.

Concerns:

No two women respond identically to the drug, making it hard to design a 'good' dosage.

There is no inexpensive or non-invasive method of checking whether it worked. If the woman gets pregnant later, it's a failure. Otherwise, no one knows if it's a success.

Possible indications that quinacrine is a carcinogen.

Anti-immigration groups in the US are among the proponents of quinacrine.

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