Experiences of legal sterilization in Scandinavia

The three Scandinavian countries--Denmark, Norway and Sweden--all legalized voluntary sterilization in the 1970s. Previous legislation had been very restrictive, limiting access to certain defined minority groups. During the two decades with this new possibility, sterilization has been accepted as a good contraceptive alternative, equally accessible for men and women above age 25 years. The sterilization frequency varies considerably between the three countries, being most popular in Norway and Denmark. The proportion of sterilization in males versus females is 40% in Denmark, 25% in Norway and 20% in Sweden. Published follow-up studies point out risk groups for regret of the intervention, and underline the need for good preoperative counseling. The overall results are very positive.