Postpartum Sterilization after a Preterm Delivery Is Not Associated with Decision Regret

Background Although sterilization is one of the most effective methods of birth control, some physicians may hesitate to perform postpartum sterilizations on patients after preterm birth, as preterm labor and delivery may preclude adequate counseling. Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted at a single, tertiary care, academic institution of adult pregnant patients who experienced a spontaneous or iatrogenic preterm delivery between March 15, 2011, and May 10, 2014 and underwent postpartum female surgical sterilization within 12 wk of delivery. A validated Decision Regret Scale was administered 7 to 11 y later. Univariate and bivariate analyses were conducted. Unadjusted and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with moderate to severe decision regret. Results Most participants (75.5%) with a preterm delivery reported no or mild regret associated with their sterilization. Circumstances surrounding the sterilization decision were positive, as 85.7% reported having enough information, 81.6% reported enough emotional support, and 75.5% reported adequate decision time. Adjusting for maternal and gestational age at delivery plus other covariates, only those reporting they had adequate time to make their sterilization decision remained significantly associated with no or mild regret (odds ratio: 0.002, 95% confidence interval: