Evaluation of Influencing Factors on Tubal Sterilization Regret: A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study is to evaluate the menstrual pattern, sexual function, and anxiety, and depression in women with poststerilization regret, and potential influencing factors for regret following tubal ligation (TL) in Iranian women.

In this cross-sectional study, 166 women with TL were subdivided into two groups including women with poststerilization regret (n=41) and women without poststerilization regret (n=125). They were selected from a health care center in Guilan province (Iran) during 2015-2016. Menstrual blood loss was measured using the Pictorial Blood Loss Assessment Chart (PBLAC) and through a self-administered questionnaire. In addition, sexual function was assessed by the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and psychological distress was measured by employing the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Student's t test and Chi-square test were used to reveal the statistical differences between the two groups. We used logistic regression to determine the influencing factors associated with regretting sterilization.

Women with poststerilization regret had more menorrhagia (78 vs. 57.6%, P=0.03) than those who did not regret sterilization. A significant difference was found in sexual dysfunction in orgasm (P=0.02), satisfaction (P=0.004), pain (P=0.02), and total FSFI scores (P=0.007) between the two groups. Also, there was a significant difference between the two groups in anxiety, depression and total scores HADS (P=0.01). In the logistic regression model, age of sterilization [odds ratio (OR=2.67), confidence interval (CI): 1.03-7.81, P=0.04)], pre-sterilization counseling (OR=19.92, CI: 6.61-59.99, P<0.001), score of PBLAC (OR=1.01, CI: 1.004-1.01, P=0.001), the number of days of bleeding (OR=1.37, CI: 1.01-1.99, P=0.04), and the length of menstrual cycles (OR=0.91, CI: 0.84-0.99, P=0.03) were significantly associated with regretting sterilization.

Complications due to sterilization are the main causes of regret; therefore, it is necessary to pay due attention to mentioning the probable complications of the procedures such as menstruation disorders, sexual dysfunction, and anxiety and depression in women during pre-sterilization counseling.