A study of women requesting interval contraceptive sterilization who do and do not return for surgery.

With the use of initial records of 1128 women who presented for interval tubal ligation, characteristics of those who were sterilized were juxtaposed with characteristics of those who did not return for surgery. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted to explore regret after sterilization among 268 sterilized women. The subsequent histories of 144 women who did not return for surgery were examined, to determine whether failure to return might have screened, selectively, the women at greatest risk of regret. High levels of subsequent unwanted conception and pregnancy wastage were found in the nonreturn group. Institutional factors were often implicated in failure to return. Variables available at initial presentation are proposed to identify women who risk adverse consequences of postponed sterilization, to facilitate return without increasing regret.