Objectives: To identify and describe pre-sterilisation characteristics most consistently associated with intensive post-sterilisation regret and subsequent request for IVF.
Design: Case control study.
Setting: Fertility clinic in a tertiary referral urban hospital, Sydney, Australia. SAMPLE CASES: Ninety-seven sterilised women who underwent evaluation for IVF during the period 1986-1996;
Controls: 101 sterilised women who remained satisfied with their tubal ligation.
Main outcome measures: Variables known at the time of sterilisation including age, number of living children, history of abortion, underlying medical diseases, marital status, race, education, and timing of sterilisation.
Results: In the multivariate analysis of data, age at the time of sterilisation had the most pronounced effect on strong regret. Women younger than 30 years old at the time of sterilisation were more likely to request IVF treatment than women 30 to 34 years old. A concurrent caesarean section was associated with a threefold risk (95% CI, 1.05-10.03) relative to an interval procedure. A strong protective effect (OR = 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01-0.65) was found for women with more than two children compared to childless women. The overwhelming reason stated by women requesting IVF was change in marital status, and the desire to have a child with the new partner.
Conclusions: Women with such characteristics who are considering tubal ligation need further caution and counselling.