Sterilization patterns in a maternity unit
Roopnarinesingh, R.; Ramsewak, S.; Suratsingh, J.; Charran, D.
West Indian Medical Journal 36(3): 174-176
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0043-3144 PMID: 3424796 Document Number: 287740
The Mt. Hope hospital built by the World Health Organization to assist in family planning and maternity services has used sterilization since 1981. In the study of 425 women who had surgical sterilization in 1984 40% were over 35 years old and 48% had 5 or more children. Roman Catholics made up 35%, Moslems 22.5% and there was an equal division between the 2 major ethnic groups of Trinidad. There has been a major effort to encourage postpartum sterilization following vaginal delivery where the patients would not normally return for sterilization; 209 patients or 3.2% have undergone this among 6,530. There were 66% married, 24.5% living together, and 9.5% single, divorced or separated. The main reason for the procedure was reaching the desired family size. This study indicates that voluntary sterilization has become a common and safe contraceptive procedure. It is most suitable for couples where pregnancy is dangerous and no longer wanted. Voluntary postpartum sterilization has not been accepted everywhere and in other studies many young single women who requested it in developing countries had regrets. In the United States it has grown from 3.4% - 7% in 1981. However, it is not as popular in third world countries where the women are in a high risk group for maternal health problems; and because of domestic pressure, they will return for sterilization, resulting in many undesired pregnancies.