These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Menstrual patterns after female sterilization: variables predicting change.
    Author: Cole LP, Fortney JA, Kennedy KI.
    Journal: Stud Fam Plann; 1984; 15(5):242-50. PubMed ID: 6495364.
    Abstract:
    Previous studies of the changes in menstrual pattern characteristics following sterilization have been flawed by methodologic errors. As a result, contradictory findings have been reported. Appropriate methodologic approaches to the study of poststerilization menstrual patterns are presented, and a new methodologic approach-an index of menstrual pattern change-is offered, which evaluates four menstrual parameters simultaneously. A carefully controlled study using this index indicates that most women report no change in menstrual pattern at 12 months poststerilization, and among those who do experience change, changes in one direction are balanced by changes in the other direction. The changes reported include improvements as well as changes for the worse. The best predictor of whether a woman would experience menstrual pattern change after sterilization is whether her pattern had any abnormal characteristics during the three months prior to the procedure. Surgical variables and special subgroups of women are also evaluated. Previous studies of the changes in menstrual pattern characteristics following sterilization have been flawed by methodological errors. As a result, contradictory findings have been reported. Appropriate methodological approaches to the study of poststerilization menstrual patterns are presented, and a new methodologic approach--an index of menstrual pattern change--is offered, which evaluates 4 menstrual parameters simultaneously. A carefully controlled study using this index indicates that most women report no change in menstrual pattern at 12 months poststerilization; among those who do experience change, changes in 1 direction are balanced by changes in the other direction. The changes reported include improvements as well as changes for the worse. The best predictor of whether a woman would experience menstrual pattern change after sterilization is whether her pattern had any abnormal characteristics during the 3 months prior to the procedure. Surgical variables and special subgroups of women are also evaluated. More women reported that dysmenorrhea had decreased than those who reported that it increased; more women became regular than were irregular. These differences were not statistically significant, however. In general, women with extreme menstrual patterns at the time of sterilization were more likely to experience change than women with average menstrual patterns. With the exception of dysmenorrhea and regularity, it would be difficult to define changes as improvements or otherwise. It is not entirely clear whether regular arrival of the menses is important for women who have been sterilized and know they are not pregnant. Particularly interesting is that no single variable emerges as a good predictor of menstrual pattern change. All variables in combination do not produce a very high regression coefficient. Both tubal rings and spring-loaded clips were associated with less change than the other methods of tubal occlusion, and ligation and excision were associated with more change. Although both age and parity were included in the equation, only parity made a statistically significant but small contribution. The data used for this study were collected by Family Health International during 24 clinical trails at 45 hospitals in 23 countries, and consisted of 1555 interval patients who sought sterilization between July 1972 and August 1978 for contraceptive purposes. All were aged 25-34 years, had between 2 and 6 live births and not using hormonal or IUD contraception in the 3 previous months.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]