title: Identifying women who will request sterilization reversal in a military population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to identify the characteristics of women in a military population who are likely to seek a tubal anastomosis after a previous bilateral tubal ligation (BTL).
  
  
  METHODS
  A written investigational review board-approved questionnaire was administered to 56 women, ages 18-40 years, requesting evaluation for a reversal of a prior BTL and 52 women of the same age range not seeking reversal. The questionnaire identified demographics and relationship characteristics of volunteers at the time of their decision to have a BTL and at the present time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age 25 years or younger, sterilization due to pressure from a partner, poor marital relationship at the time of the BTL and a new marriage are highly predictive of tubal sterilization regret and a request for sterilization reversal in a military population. In addition, women requesting a tubal anastomosis reported less preoperative counseling on the permanence of a BTL and of the male alternative for permanent female sterilization, vasectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with these characteristics should have extensive counseling before undergoing tubal sterilization.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium, Lackland Air Force Base, TX 78236, USA.
authors.forename: Cher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Moseman
authors.forename: Randal D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: G Wright
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Bates
authors.forename: Anthony M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Propst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013243:Sterilization Reversal / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States