Show, no show and sterilization

The study investigates the factors involved in the decision of a sample of women to break appointments for sterilizations at the Fertility Management Unit of the University of the West Indies. A case control study involved 50 women who did not show up (no-shows) and an equal number who did show up (shows) over the same period. The no-shows had spent a shorter time in their current union than the shows, and some had no children for their partners at the time the appointments were made. Marriage was the single most important event that would encourage the no-shows to consider sterilization in the future. As long as poor women see child bearing as a precondition for financial assistance from spouses, they will hesitate to give up this capability.