The Nature and Dynamics of Post‐Sterilization Regret in Married Women ¹

Abstract

Data for nine different indicators of regret were collected from 213 married women with a tubal sterilization and 137 wives of men with a vasectomy at 1,2, and 3 years following surgical sterilization. Relationships between the indicators across the 3 years and within each year were analyzed, using two psychological models. A final, combined model was synthesized and fitted to the data. This model addresses many of the important issues of reliability and validity that have plagued the literature on post‐sterilization regret for years.

‘I’m committed to her and the family’: positive accounts of vasectomy among New Zealand men

“…The findings of Zeigler, Rodgers and colleagues in the 1960s (see Rodgers, Ziegler, Altrocchi, & Levy, 1965;Rodgers, Ziegler, & Rohr, 1963;Ziegler, Rodgers, & Kriegsman, 1966;Ziegler, Rodgers, & Prentiss, 1969) established much of the 'taken for granted' assumptions we now have about vasectomy, which were followed (and further developed) by a handful of key references through to the early 1980s (e.g., Bourgeois & Audebert, 1974;Dias, 1983;Kohli & Sobrero, 1973;Kohli & Sobrero, 1975;Mumford, 1983). Interest in vasectomy arose again with the work of Miller and colleagues in the early 1990s (Miller, Shain, & Pasta, 1990, 1991a, 1991b, 1991c, their work helping to establish another small flurry of activity (e.g., Ringheim, 1993;Rogstad, 1996;Vernon, Ojeda, & Vega, 1991).…”

“…In fact, the overall orientation of research typically tended toward being negative, with research findings emphasising such features as: the historical social stigma associated with vasectomy (e.g., Kohli & Sobrero, 1973, fear of pain (e.g., Groat, Neal, & Wicks, 1990), 'adverse psychological changes' (Ziegler et al, 1969, p. 53), sexual 'dysfunction' (e.g., Ziegler et al, 1969) or regret (e.g., Miller et al, 1990Miller et al, , 1991aMiller et al, , 1991b. Concerns about men being 'pressured' into the operation, both by partners and 'vasectomarketing' also pervaded research, and was often treated as the cause of many negative psychological effects (e.g., Miller et al, 1991a;Wolfers & Wolfers, 1973.…”

O arrependimento após a esterilização feminina

“…Os índices de arrependimento variam enormemente de país para país e em áreas de um mesmo país. Estudos conduzidos nos Estados Unidos de 1985 a 1991 mostram uma grande variação de 2 a 23% no arrependimento (Grubb et al, 1985;Miller et al, 1990;Wilcox et al, 1991;Zabin et al, 1986). As diferentes prevalências de arrependimento entre países desenvolvidos e países em desenvolvimento estão relacionadas às causas do arrependimento.…”

Surgical sterilization, regret, and race: Contemporary patterns

“…Women who have tubal ligations at younger ages are significantly more likely to experience sterilization regret than are older women (Boring et al 1988: Curtis et al 2006; Kariminia et al 2002; Marcil-Gratton 1988; Miller et al 1991, 1993). Change in marital status and a concomitant desire to have children with a new partner, perceived pressure to have the surgery, and sterilization based on medical necessity are also associated with higher odds of regretting sterilization surgery (Boring et al 1988; Kariminia et al 2002; Miller et al 1991, 1993). Poor women of all races are more likely to opt for sterilization without fully weighing the long-term personal costs, such as the possibility of being unable to conceive a new baby in the event of entering into a new relationship (Young 1999).…”