A two-year follow-up study of women sterilized in India

For large-scale program implementation, it is important to document both early and long-term safety and effectiveness of female sterilization methods. The results of this controlled, prospective, two-year study of 2,053 women who underwent sterilization in Baroda, India, show a marked decline in gynecological abnormalities over time; the incidence of gynecological pathology following sterilization was not significantly higher than what might be expected in the general population. The incidence of post-sterilization gynecological surgery was low. Significantly more women had weight gain than weight loss after sterilization. After sterilization, no change in menstrual cycle parameters was reported for the vast majority of women. Both favorable and unfavorable changes in menstrual cycle parameters were noted. The one-year and two-year pregnancy rates were 0.0 and 0.4 percent, respectively. No ectopic pregnancies were reported.