Psychosocial consequences of sterilization: a review of the literature and preliminary findings.

Tubal ligation continues as a frequently used method of birth control. Nonetheless, psychosocial consequences, sexual satisfaction, and later regret regarding the procedure and the loss of childbearing potential remain as concerns. This is particularly true for the population of childless women requesting the procedure. The authors review all available recent literature on regret, psychosocial correlates, and sexual satisfaction related to tubal sterilization, with particular attention to the literature on childless women. They also present preliminary findings from a prospective controlled 5-year follow-up study of sterilization in childless women.