Psychological aspects of female sterilisation--assessment of subsequent regret

In order to study subsequent regret as a complication of female sterilisation, hospital records of women requesting reversal of their sterilisation were compared with women who had not requested a reversal. Regret was more likely in women sterilised at a younger age, but was not associated with lower parity. Women requesting reversal were interviewed to determine the psychosocial factors likely to produce later regret. The clinical implications are discussed.