The perplexing links between contraceptive sterilization and (dis)advantage in ten low-fertility countries

Abstract

This study investigates the association between sterilization and socioeconomic status in comparative context, using data from the 2006–10 National Survey of Family Growth and the 2004–10 Generations and Gender Surveys. We first confirm that longstanding patterns of association between socioeconomic status and sterilization persist in the contemporary United States. Specifically, female sterilization is associated with economic disadvantage whereas male sterilization is associated with economic advantage. We next show that female sterilization is similarly associated with disadvantage in most study countries, whereas a positive association between socioeconomic advantage and male sterilization is largely unique to the United States. However, while basic demographic background factors such as early childbearing and parity can explain the observed associations in most study countries, a strong gendered association between sterilization and socioeconomic status remains in the U.S. and Belgium even when adjusting for these factors.

Limited detraditionalization of intimacy: Growing socioeconomic differences in contraceptive use at first intercourse in Italy

“…For contraceptive behavior, previous research indicates socioeconomic stratification, such as class differences in contraceptive use (Eeckhaut and Sweeney, 2016;Layte et al, 2007).…”

Limited detraditionalization of intimacy: Growing socioeconomic differences in contraceptive use at first intercourse in Italy

“…The available new cultural frames may not contain gender equality scripts or if they do, there may be further obstacles to their realization. For example, socioeconomic inequalities have been shown to affect detraditionalization and the prospects of reproductive autonomy for women: Empirical research indicates class differences in contraceptive use (Eeckhaut and Sweeney 2016;Layte et al 2007). In this study, we investigated the links between gender, socioeconomic background and the detraditionalization of intimacy by looking at changes in contraceptive use at first intercourse in Italy over the period of sexual liberalization.…”

“…Second, the decline in moral sanctioning of non-traditional behavior at first intercourse is unlikely to have unfolded universally across the social strata. Information about and access to contraceptive methods are unevenly distributed (Eeckhaut and Sweeney 2016). For example, high parental education (Manning, Longmore, and Giordano 2000) and high own education (Buhr and Castiglioni 2017) are positively associated with contraceptive use.…”

Similarities and differences in contraceptive use reported by women and men in the National Survey of Family Growth

“…For respondents who reported using multiple methods at last intercourse, we categorized these according to the most effective method during typical use [7], following standard procedure in contraceptive use reports using NSFG data [4][8][9]. The “Other methods” category includes methods unspecified by respondents along with methods with a frequency of fewer than 20 users: diaphragms; female condoms; contraceptive sponges; spermicidal foams/gels/creams; and emergency contraception.…”

“…Indeed, the concept of “at risk of unintended pregnancy” is not defined for men by the NCHS. In a recent study, Eeckhaut and Sweeney examined patterns of sterilization use among married and cohabiting contraceptive users aged 25–44 years in the 2006–2010 NSFG [4]. While their primary objective was not to compare distributions of method use by sex, differences in the proportions of women and men reporting use of female sterilization were apparent.…”