THE PRESTERILIZATION AND POSTSTERILIZATION PREDICTORS OF POSTSTERILIZATION REGRET IN HUSBANDS AND WIVES

Husbands and wives from 141 tubal sterilization couples and 162 vasectomy couples were interviewed just prior to sterilization and then again 1 and 2 years later. We conducted linear regression analyses to determine the pre- and poststerilization predictors of poststerilization regret in each of the four gender x method groups (tubal husbands, tubal wives, vasectomy husbands, vasectomy wives). We confirmed a number of hypotheses based on the research literature and our own earlier work. Both individual and couple factors contributed to the development of regret, as did both pre-and poststerilization factors. An important finding was the degree to which regret among the nonsterilized respondents (tubal husbands, vasectomy wives) was affected by pre- and poststerilization interaction with their spouses.