Abstract

PIP: In many parts of the world, elective sterilization has become the preferred method of contraception for large numbers of women who have completed their families. Some concern has been expressed in the medical literature about the adverse psychological sequelae of the procedure. However, although many sterilizations are performed postpartum, there have been no attempts to separate the effects which may indeed be attributable to sterilization from those often associated with pregnancy and the puerperium. The present paper reviews major research findings in the perinatal field and relates them to results of selected studies of female sterilization. The review concentrates on psychological disturbances in the postpartum period, but changes during pregnancy, as well as disturbances in postnatal sexuality and menstruation, are also discussed. Well-designed studies are necessary in order to overcome the methodological difficulties often encountered in the existing literature.