A Review of Female Sterilization in the United States in the Wake of Roe v Wade [ID: 1377581

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: With the anticipation of the overturning of Roe v Wade, U.S. physicians reported an increase in demand for female sterilization procedures. This literature review aims to analyze existing survey tools and how they assess sterilization motivations and postprocedure regret. METHODS: Keywords “female sterilization tool,” “female sterilization assessment,” “female sterilization questionnaire,” and “female sterilization survey” were entered into the National Center for Biotechnology Information PubMed search. A title screen for female human studies and an abstract screen selection for survey-based, English, and full-text studies were applied. Seventy percent intercoding agreement was reached between four researchers. RESULTS: Sixty-five texts were fully reviewed. The minority (15.4%) were U.S. based and 18 (27.7%) of the publications utilized pretested questionnaires. One hundred seventy-four questions across six surveys were analyzed. Comprehension of complex vocabulary and medical terms cannot be assumed to be within the health literacy abilities of most nonmedical professionals. Cultural sensitivity was deficient in questions around contraception choices and family planning, which assumed that these practices are ubiquitous among sexually active women without acknowledging cultures that do not readily use contraception in family planning. Exclusive language regarding gender and sexuality assumed heterosexual preference and cisgender identity for both participants and their partners, which alienates participants who identify LGBTQ+, transgender, or nonbinary and obscures the nuance of sterilization practices among these identities. CONCLUSION: Data on sterilization regret and motivations could be hindered by literacy and biased questioning. A novel, pretested survey tool oriented toward inclusive and comprehensive language is needed to capture female sterilization trends.