The surgical thread used in tubal sterilization is so heavy!: tubal sterilization and new reproductive technologies

Abstract

Tubal sterilization is a method of female sterilization, consisting of the surgical severance of the fallopian tubes which connect the ovaries to the uterus. This method, the rates for which have doubled in Brazil since 2003, is considered safe and irreversible. This study is a qualitative research project which seeks to describe and analyze the thought process and assessment of sterilization by women who have subsequently sought the help of new reproductive technologies to enable them to conceive. Sixteen sterilized women were interviewed at a hospital within the public health system in São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. As a result, the following themes emerged from the study: women’s lack of care regarding their reproductive life; sterilization and (constitution) habitus, and the remorse expressed in the phrase proffered by Rosa: “The surgical thread used in tubal sterilization is so heavy!” The study highlighted the need for women to be better informed about the surgical procedures available to them: whether about tubal ligation or about treatments in the field of new reproductive technology. Access to this information can promote greater understanding of the terms and greater confidence in dealing with the choices involved.