{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-2974.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-2974.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-2974.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-2974.html"}],"law_id":64502,"edition_id":1,"section_id":64502,"structure_id":16180,"section_number":"54.1-2974","catch_line":"Sterilization operations for persons 18 years or older capable of informed consent","history":"1981, c. 454, \u00a7 54-325.9; 1988, c. 765; 2013, c. 671.","full_text":"It shall be lawful for any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine to perform a vasectomy, salpingectomy, or other surgical sexual sterilization procedure on any person 18 years of age or older who has the capacity to give informed consent, when so requested in writing by such person. Prior to or at the time of such request, a full, reasonable, and comprehensible medical explanation as to the meaning and consequences of such an operation and as to alternative methods of contraception shall be given by the physician to the person requesting the operation.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":234753,"text":"It shall be lawful for any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine to perform a vasectomy, salpingectomy, or other surgical sexual sterilization procedure on any person 18 years of age or older who has the capacity to give informed consent, when so requested in writing by such person. Prior to or at the time of such request, a full, reasonable, and comprehensible medical explanation as to the meaning and consequences of such an operation and as to alternative methods of contraception shall be given by the physician to the person requesting the operation.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":16180,"edition_id":1,"name":"Sexual Sterilization","identifier":"7","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12759,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:08:21","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:08:21","permalink":{"id":242549,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":16180,"identifier":"7","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/7\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12759,"edition_id":1,"name":"Medicine and Other Healing Arts","identifier":"29","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241933,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12759,"identifier":"29","token":"54.1\/III\/29","url":"\/54.1\/III\/29\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":64502,"structure_id":16180,"section_number":"54.1-2974","catch_line":"Sterilization operations for persons 18 years or older capable of informed consent","url":"\/54.1-2974\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2974","metadata":false},{"id":80885,"structure_id":16180,"section_number":"54.1-2975","catch_line":"Sterilization operations for certain children incapable of informed consent","url":"\/54.1-2975\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2975","metadata":false},{"id":86736,"structure_id":16180,"section_number":"54.1-2976","catch_line":"Sterilization operations for certain adults incapable of informed consent","url":"\/54.1-2976\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2976","metadata":false},{"id":68587,"structure_id":16180,"section_number":"54.1-2977","catch_line":"Standards for court-authorized sterilization of certain persons","url":"\/54.1-2977\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2977","metadata":false},{"id":71605,"structure_id":16180,"section_number":"54.1-2978","catch_line":"Reports of certain sterilizations","url":"\/54.1-2978\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2978","metadata":false},{"id":83179,"structure_id":16180,"section_number":"54.1-2979","catch_line":"No liability for nonnegligent performance of operation","url":"\/54.1-2979\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2979","metadata":false},{"id":73580,"structure_id":16180,"section_number":"54.1-2980","catch_line":"Article inapplicable to certain medical or surgical treatment","url":"\/54.1-2980\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2980","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":80885,"structure_id":16180,"section_number":"54.1-2975","catch_line":"Sterilization operations for certain children incapable of informed consent","url":"\/54.1-2975\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2975","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2974\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1981. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 454 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1981 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1988, chapter 765; in 2013, chapter 671<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":242551,"object_type":"law","relational_id":64502,"identifier":"54.1-2974","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2974","url":"\/54.1-2974\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2974\/","token":"54.1\/III\/29\/7\/54.1-2974","dublin_core":{"Title":"Sterilization operations for persons 18 years or older capable of informed consent","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2974","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It shall be lawful for any physician licensed by the Board<\/span> of Medicine to perform a vasectomy, salpingectomy, or other surgical sexual sterilization procedure on any person 18 years of age or older who has the capacity to give informed consent, when so requested in writing by such person. Prior to or at the time of such request, a full, reasonable, and comprehensible medical explanation as to the meaning and consequences of such an operation and as to alternative methods of contraception shall be given by the physician to the person requesting the operation.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSTERILIZATION OPERATIONS FOR PERSONS 18 YEARS OR OLDER CAPABLE OF INFORMED\nCONSENT (\u00a7 54.1-2974)\n\nIt shall be lawful for any physician licensed by the Board of Medicine to\nperform a vasectomy, salpingectomy, or other surgical sexual sterilization\nprocedure on any person 18 years of age or older who has the capacity to give\ninformed consent, when so requested in writing by such person. Prior to or at\nthe time of such request, a full, reasonable, and comprehensible medical\nexplanation as to the meaning and consequences of such an operation and as to\nalternative methods of contraception shall be given by the physician to the\nperson requesting the operation.\n\nHISTORY: 1981, c. 454, \u00a7 54-325.9; 1988, c. 765; 2013, c. 671.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}