Sterilization regret in the Dominican Republic: looking for quality-of-care issues
Loaiza, E.
Studies in Family Planning 26(1): 39-48
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0039-3665 PMID: 7785067 DOI: 10.2307/2138050Document Number: 289309
A quality of care study examined the covariates of sterilization regret by analyzing data from the 1991 Demographic and Health Survey for the Dominican Republic. The leading contraceptive method was female sterilization (about 40% of women in union) followed by oral contraceptives (10%). Over time, an increasing number of younger women chose sterilization. In fact, 60% of all sterilized women underwent sterilization when they were younger than 30. Almost 40% of women in union who underwent sterilization when they were younger than 30 had no more than three living children. Sterilization was the first and only contraceptive method that 34% of sterilized women in union had ever used. 56% of them were younger than 30. 44% had fewer than four children. These women were more likely to report regret, dissatisfaction with their decision to undergo sterilization, and to not choose sterilization again than did all respondents (11% vs. 5%). Some variables significantly associated with dissatisfaction and regret were: age; no other modern family planning methods used; reasons for sterilization (recommended by medical/family planning worker and side effects/health concerns); a less than 6 month interval between last birth and sterilization; sterilization was first method used; family size less than four; sterilized at delivery; and sterilization was discussed with husband. These findings suggest a need for the family planning program to provide information about all contraceptive methods and their effective use, quality counseling, and access to high quality services to optimize levels of satisfaction among clients.