This report presents
national data on the prevalence of surgical sterilization from 1965 to 1995 among women
15-44 years of age. Data are shown by type of sterilizing operation and demographic
characteristics of the women. Data presented in this report are based on national samples
of women 15-44 years of age: the 1965 National Fertility Study and the 1973, 1982, 1988,
and 1995 cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth.
Data
Highlights:
Between the 1965 and 1988 surveys, the prevalence of surgical sterilization rose
dramatically among married women 15-44 years of age in the United States, from 16 to 42
percent. In 1995 the prevalence remained about the same at 41 percent.
In the 1965
and 1973 surveys, tubal ligation and vasectomy were equally common among currently married
and ever-married women aged 15-44 years (and their partners). Since the 1982 survey, tubal
ligation has become more prevalent than vasectomy, occurring one-and-a-half to two times
as often.
Throughout the
survey years, age, parity, religious affiliation, and education continued to be strongly
associated with overall surgical sterilization rates. Marital status, race/ethnicity, and
socioeconomic factors such as education and income, were also strongly associated with
particular types of sterilizing operations.
Among
ever-married women aged 15-44 years in 1995, 41 percent were surgically sterile (15.3
million women), 26 percent reported having a tubal ligation, 7 percent had a hysterectomy,
and 12 percent were currently living with a husband or partner who had a vasectomy.
Keywords:
surgical sterilization, population characteristics