Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Desire for Reversal of Sterilization Among U.S. Women

Abstract

Purpose: Racial and ethnic disparities in rates of female sterilization, a prominent method of contraception, have been consistently observed for decades. Such disparities are also evident in subsequent desire for reversal of the procedure. Additional work is needed to better understand these patterns, particularly given the historical context of coercive sterilization patterns in minority and low-income women. Materials and Methods: Two cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth data are pooled (2011-2013 and 2006-2010) and used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for race and ethnicity, controlling for payment method, age at sterilization, number of long-term partners, and other known covariates. Results: After adjusting for other factors, the odds of desire for reversal were 70% higher (OR 1.70, confidence interval [95% CI] 1.26-2.29) in non-Hispanic (NH) Black and 54% (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.14-2.08) in Hispanic women compared to their NH White counterparts. In addition, the likelihood of desire for reversal was substantially increased with lower age at sterilization, a higher number of partners, and lower education. Conclusions: Robust findings of desire for reversal among racial and ethnic minorities, taken together with increased desire for reversal on the basis of specific personal characteristics, merit attention to the possibility that disproportionate outcomes reflect a lack of access to desired contraception and an inability to achieve desired fertility goals in marginalized populations.

Keywords: racial/ethnic disparities; reproductive decision-making; sterilization; sterilization reversal.