Demographic trends of tubal sterilization in the United States 1970-75

Tubal sterilization in women 15-24 years of age: demographic trends in the United States, 1970-1980

Between 1970-1980, approximately 942,000 women 15-24 years of age underwent tubal sterilization in the United States. These women represented about 17 per cent of all women ages 15-44 years who underwent tubal sterilization in the United States during this 11-year period. During 1970-1980, sterilization rates rose steadily from three per 1,000 to 11 per 1,000 for women in the 20- to 24-year age group, but remained stable at less than one per 1,000 for women in the 15- to 19-year age group. For each year, rates for Black women were greater than those for White women. Sterilization rates increased over the time period for both currently and previously married women, but remained low for never-married women. Most tubal sterilizations were performed after delivery of an infant.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding vasectomy among residents of Hamilton County, Ohio, 1980

A telephone survey of 1,172 Hamilton County, Ohio residents indicated that for ever-married people, 25.1 per cent of those aged 18-45 and 33.8 per cent of those 30-45 had been sterilized. Blacks and Whites had comparable levels of sterilization but, among Blacks, female sterilization was over eight times as common as vasectomy, while for Whites, the ratio was 1.2. Catholics had only one-half the sterilization rate of Protestants. Race, sex, income, and education were all related to knowledge and attitudes toward vasectomy. The need for more information was a major reason cited for not having a vasectomy.

Demographic trends in tubal sterilization: United States, 1970-1978

In the period 1970-1977, an estimated 4,236,000 women 15-44 years of age had tubal sterilization operations in United States hospitals. Both the number and the rate of tubal sterilizations increased each year from 1970-1977, but in 1978 both declined. Tubal sterilization rates for Black women were higher than for White women. Black women also tended to be younger at the time of tubal sterilization. For the nation as a whole, the mean age at the time of tubal sterilization remained constant at about 30 with the youngest age group having the highest proportion of never-married women.

Postpartum sterilization in cesarean section and non-cesarean section deliveries: United States, 1970-75

National Hospital Discharge Survey data indicate that the overall postpartum sterilization rate per 100 deliveries increased by 75 per cent from 4.0 in 1970 to 7.0 in 1975; by type of delivery, rates rose from 18.0 per 100 cesarean section deliveries and 3.2 for all other deliveries in 1970 to 19.0 and 5.6 respectively in 1975. The South had the highest postpartum sterilization rates overall. Deliveries to older mothers and cesarean section deliveries in hospitals with less than 100 beds were more often characterized by higher sterilization rates.

The impact of laparoscopy on tubal sterilization in United States hospitals, 1970 and 1975 to 1978

During the 1970s, tubal sterilization became an important method of fertility control in the United States. Over the same period laparoscopy emerged as an important innovation, one that has been associated with both a shift from postpartum to interval sterilization and a dramatic decrease in length of hospital stay required for sterilization. The use of laparoscopy has also been associated with an increase in hospital-based outpatient sterilization, particularly in the West. The number of sterilizations performed in hospitals and the use of laparoscopy for interval sterilization in hospitals both appear to have peaked. The laparoscope is an example of a technologic advance that has reduced medical care costs.