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The Effect of Interval Tubal Sterilization on Sexual Interest and Pleasure

From the Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and Information Systems Support Services for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TRW Systems & Information Technology Group, Atlanta, Georgia.

Address reprint requests to: Caroline Costello, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop K34, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341; E-mail: ccostello{at}cdc.gov.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if interval tubal sterilization leads to a change in female sexual interest or pleasure and to identify predictors of a positive or negative effect.

METHODS: Our study population comprised 4576 women enrolled in a prospective, multicenter cohort study between 1978 and 1983. Potential demographic, clinical, and surgical predictors of sexual outcome were tested for significant variation from the overall pattern of unchanged, increased, and decreased sexual interest and pleasure.

RESULTS: Over 80% of the 4576 study women reported no consistent change in either sexual interest (80.0%) or pleasure (81.7%) after interval tubal sterilization. Among women with consistent change, positive effects were reported ten and 15 times more often than negative effects for sexual interest and pleasure, respectively. All subgroups of women, except for those with poststerilization regret, were significantly (P < .05) more likely to experience increased rather than decreased interest or pleasure. Women with poststerilization regret were the subgroup most likely to have a negative effect; in multivariate analyses, poststerilization regret was the only factor to be a predictor for decreased interest (odds ratio 4.0) and decreased pleasure (odds ratio 5.1). Similarly, women reporting regret were significantly less likely to report increased interest or pleasure. Whether the regret or the decreased sexual interest or pleasure occurred first is unclear.

CONCLUSION: Interval tubal ligation is unlikely to result in changed sexual interest or pleasure. Among those with change, the majority experienced positive sexual effects.

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