Regret following female sterilization in Slovenia.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the regret rate and risk factors for regret among women who have undergone sterilization.


METHODS
A retrospective study was conducted among all women who underwent a sterilization procedure at the University Medical Center Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia, in 2008-2012. Identified women were contacted and asked to complete an online questionnaire assessing regret and symptoms associated with depression.


RESULTS
Among 714 identified women, 308 (43.1%) completed the questionnaire. Four (1.3%) participants reported regret, and 9 (2.9%) reported that they would not opt for sterilization again, all of whom had post-sterilization problems. Such problems were significantly associated with participants reporting that they would not opt for sterilization again (P=0.003). Additionally, women who would not choose sterilization again had significantly higher scores on the depressive scale used than did those who would undergo sterilization again (P=0.028).


CONCLUSIONS
Few women report regret after tubal sterilization in Slovenia. However, an additional consultation on post-sterilization problems and depressive disorder before sterilization might minimize the risk of regret.
Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
Anja
A
Becner
Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
Anela Bečić
AB
Turkanović
Department of General Gynecology and Gynecologic Urology, University Medical Center Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia. Electronic address: igor.but@ukc-mb.si.
Igor
I
But
D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017524:Slovenia; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Depressive disorder; Post-sterilization problems; Regret; Sterilization