Voluntary Sterilisation Regulations 2012

Voluntary Sterilisation Act 1974

(Section 13)

Voluntary Sterilisation Regulations 2012

2025 REVISED EDITION

(2 June 2025)

[31 December 2012]

Citation

1.  These Regulations are the Voluntary Sterilisation Regulations 2012.

Definition

1A.  In these Regulations, “specified website” means the Healthcare Application and Licensing Portal of the Ministry of Health at https://halp.moh.gov.sg.

Prescribed branches of medicine for specialist medical clinics

2.  For the purpose of the definition of “specialist medical clinic” in section 2 of the Act, the prescribed branches of medicine are —

(a) Obstetrics and Gynaecology;

(b) General Surgery; and

(c) Urology.

Duties of registered medical practitioners

3.—(1)  Every registered medical practitioner who carries out any treatment for sexual sterilisation must —

(a) submit a report electronically or by fax to the Director‑General of Health in the form set out at the specified website, within 30 days after completing any treatment carried out —

(i) under the conditions in section 3(2)(c) of the Act; or

(ii) pursuant to an order of the court under section 3(2)(d) or (e) of the Act;

(b) keep and maintain proper medical records of every treatment for sexual sterilisation carried out by the registered medical practitioner;

(c) in the case of any treatment carried out under the conditions in section 3(2)(a), (b) or (c) of the Act, issue to the person who has undergone the treatment, upon his or her request, a certificate of sexual sterilisation in the form set out at the specified website;

(d) in the case of any treatment carried out on a person pursuant to an order of the court under section 3(2)(d) or (e) of the Act, issue to the person’s spouse, parent or guardian who is the applicant of the order of court, upon the applicant’s request, a certificate of sexual sterilisation in the form set out at the specified website; and

(e) keep a duplicate of the certificate of sexual sterilisation, if it is issued.

(2)  Where strict compliance with the form mentioned in paragraph (1)(a), (c) or (d) is not possible, the Director-General of Health may make any modification to that form for the purpose of facilitating the submission or issue (as the case may be) of that form.

(3)  Every health institution must maintain a register of every treatment for sexual sterilisation carried out in the health institution containing the information specified in paragraph (4).

(4)  The register mentioned in paragraph (3) must contain the following information:

(a) the name of the operating theatre;

(b) the name and registration number of the registered medical practitioner who carried out the treatment;

(c) the name of the person who underwent the treatment, as indicated in his or her identity card or passport;

(d) the identity card or passport number of the person who underwent the treatment;

(e) the date that the treatment was carried out;

(f) the method of sterilisation;

(g) the reasons for the treatment;

(h) where the treatment was carried out on a person under the conditions in section 3(2)(a) or (b) of the Act, a copy of the consent given by the person;

(i) where the treatment was carried out on a person under the conditions in section 3(2)(c) of the Act, a copy each of the consent given by the person and his or her parent or guardian;

(j) where the treatment was carried out on a person pursuant to an order of the court under section 3(2)(d) or (e) of the Act —

(i) the name of the applicant of the order of court;

(ii) the applicant’s identity card or passport number; and

(iii) a copy of the order of court.

(5)  Any person who without reasonable excuse contravenes paragraph (1) or (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

Consent to treatment for sexual sterilisation

4.  The consent to any treatment for sexual sterilisation required under section 3(2)(a), (b) and (c) of the Act must contain the following information:

(a) in all cases —

(i) the name, registration number and signature of the registered medical practitioner carrying out the treatment;

(ii) the name of the health institution;

(iii) the name, identity card or passport number, residential address and signature of the person undergoing the treatment;

(iv) a declaration by the registered medical practitioner carrying out the treatment that the registered medical practitioner has given a full and reasonable explanation as to the meaning and consequences of the treatment to the person undergoing the treatment;

(v) a declaration by the person undergoing the treatment that he or she clearly understands the meaning and consequences of the treatment; and

(vi) the date of the consent;

(b) in the case of any treatment carried out under the conditions in section 3(2)(c) of the Act —

(i) the name, identity card or passport number, residential address and signature of the parent or guardian giving consent to the person undergoing the treatment; and

(ii) the relationship of the parent or guardian giving consent to the person undergoing the treatment.

Treatment for sexual sterilisation in specialist medical clinics

5.  For the purposes of section 4(2) of the Act, a registered medical practitioner must be regarded as possessing the requisite surgical or obstetric qualifications for carrying out any treatment for sexual sterilisation in a specialist medical clinic, if he or she is registered under section 22 of the Medical Registration Act 1997 as a specialist in the branch of —

(a) Obstetrics and Gynaecology;

(b) General Surgery; or

(c) Urology.

Disclosure of facts or information relating to treatment for sexual sterilisation

6.—(1)  A person mentioned in section 5(1)(a) or (b) of the Act may only disclose facts or information relating to any treatment for sexual sterilisation to the following persons and for the following purposes:

(a) a public officer of the Ministry of Health authorised by the Director-General of Health, so that the officer may carry out his or her duties under the Act;

(b) the Attorney-General or a public officer authorised by the Attorney-General, so that he or she may carry out his or her duties in relation to any offence committed under any written law;

(c) a police officer not below the rank of superintendent or any other police officer authorised by that police officer, for the purpose of investigating whether an offence has been committed under any written law;

(d) a public officer authorised by the Minister under section 6 of the Act, for the purpose of investigating whether an offence has been committed under the Act;

(e) a police officer, for the purpose of providing the police officer with information under sections 22 and 424 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010;

(f) a police officer or forensic pathologist appointed under the Coroners Act 2010, for the purpose of investigating whether an offence has been committed under any written law;

(g) any registered medical practitioner or other health staff, for the purpose of, or in relation to, carrying out any treatment or care for, or counselling, the person who has undergone the treatment for sexual sterilisation;

(h) any other person as may be ordered by a court.

(2)  To avoid doubt and except as provided in paragraph (1), any fact or information relating to any treatment for sexual sterilisation must not be disclosed to any person for any purpose unless the person who has undergone the treatment has given his or her express consent to the disclosure.

(3)  In paragraph (1)(g), “health staff” means any employee of a health institution —

(a) who is involved in the care and management of the person undergoing or who has undergone the treatment for sexual sterilisation; and

(b) who requires access to facts and information relating to such treatment of that person in the course of the duties or employment of the employee.

Revocation

7.  The Voluntary Sterilization Regulations (Cap. 347, Rg 1, 1990 Revised Edition) (called in these Regulations the revoked Regulations) are revoked.

Saving and transitional provisions

8.—(1)  Despite regulation 7 —

(a) any hospital, maternity home, clinic or other place approved as an approved institution immediately before 31 December 2012 is deemed to be a health institution for the purposes of these Regulations until the date that approval would have expired under the revoked Regulations if they had not been revoked;

(b) any consent to treatment for sexual sterilisation given under the revoked Regulations and in force immediately before 31 December 2012 is deemed to be a valid consent given under these Regulations; and

(c) any certificate issued or given under the revoked Regulations and in force immediately before 31 December 2012 is deemed to be a valid certificate issued or given under these Regulations.

(2)  These Regulations do not apply to any treatment for sexual sterilisation started before 31 December 2012 and the revoked Regulations continue to apply to such treatment as if they had not been revoked.