Surgical Sterilization, Regret, and Race: Contemporary Patterns

Authors

Karina M. Shreffler, Oklahoma State UniversityFollow
Julia McQuillan, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Arthur L. Greil, Alfred UniversityFollow
David R. Johnson, Pennsylvania State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2015

Citation

Soc Sci Res. 2015 March ; 50: 31–45.

Comments

© 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abstract

Surgical sterilization is a relatively permanent form of contraception that has been disproportionately used by Black, Hispanic, and Native American women in the United States in the past. We use a nationally representative sample of 4,609 women ages 25 to 45 to determine whether sterilization continues to be more common and consequential by race for reproductive-age women. Results indicate that Native American and Black women are more likely to be sterilized than non-Hispanic White women, and Hispanic and Native American women are more likely than non-Hispanic White women to report that their sterilization surgeries prevent them from conceiving children they want. Reasons for sterilization differ significantly by race. These findings suggest that stratified reproduction has not ended in the United States and that the patterns and consequences of sterilization continue to vary by race.