Presterilization counseling and women's regret about having been sterilized

A study was designed to assess satisfaction with presterilization counseling, contentment with being sterilized and the effect of variables, such as age, number of children at the time of surgery and ethnic background, on the level of contentment with being sterilized. A total of 1,716 questionnaires were distributed at various hospitals and clinics. Questionnaires were collected from 492 women, who had ranged from 17 to 46 years of age at the time of sterilization. The majority of the women were married, and their average number of children was two. Of 487 women who replied, 30% did not receive any presterilization counseling from a physician; 15% of 480 women received their counseling from a nurse. Of 487 women, 2% fully regretted their sterilization, and the majority of them wanted more children. A positive correlation was found between the degree of satisfaction with presterilization counseling and the level of contentment with being sterilized. It was also found that 6 of the 53 women who were under 25 years of age at the time of surgery fully regretted their sterilization. The ethnic backgrounds of the women and their number of children at the time of surgery had no significant effect on their contentment with sterilization.