Sterilization regret among U.S. couples
Henshaw, S.K.; Singh, S.
Family Planning Perspectives 18(5): 238-240
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-7354 PMID: 3803559 DOI: 10.2307/2134990Document Number: 350337
The 1982 US National Survey of Family Growth included questions aimed at measuring sterilization regret. Of the 8583 couples in the survey who were protected from pregnancy by vasectomy or tubal ligation, 26% indicated they would like to have more children and 10% desire sterilization reversal. The proportion of women who want more children despite sterilization is highest (42%) among those aged 20-29 years, then declines with rising age to a low of 13% among women 40-44 years of age. Of all women who assert they want a reversal, 62% are aged 25-34 years. Blacks comprise 11% of contraceptively sterilized couples in the US but 18% of those who want the procedure reversed; similarly, Hispanics make up 6% of contraceptively sterilized couples but 17% of those expressing a desire for reversal. Significantly higher percentages of Medicaid recipients desire sterilization reversal, although this may reflect the fact that poor women are generally younger. Women who were not currently married were significantly more likely than married women to desire reversal (21% versus 8%). Finally, women who were sterilized before the age of 30 years were significantly more likely than those who were older at the time of the procedure to want another child (33% versus 17%) and to desire reversal (14% versus 6%). It is recognized that the responses to this question are not a good indication of the strength of sterilization regret, and they do not provide an accurate measure of need or potential demand for sterilization reversal. However, these findings do reflect a substantial level of dissatisfaction with sterilization as a means of fertility control. Providers of sterilization services should be aware that 10% or more of their patients may later regret their decision. It is possible that if more acceptable methods of reversible contraception were available, fewer women would resort to sterilization at young ages and the level of regret would be reduced.