Erin T. Welsh, MA , 2025-05-17 16:51:00
Key takeaways:
- The number of interval tubal sterilizations rose after the Dobbs decision in Arizona.
- This number also rose in women with lower gravidity and parity.
MINNEAPOLIS — In Arizona, more interval tubal sterilizations were performed after vs. before Dobbs, particularly for women with little to no pregnancy history or few viable pregnancies, according to data.
The findings were presented at the ACOG Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting.
In Arizona, more interval tubal sterilizations were performed after vs. before Dobbs, particularly for women with little to no pregnancy history or few viable pregnancies, according to data. Image: Adobe Stock
“We wanted to see how Dobbs could impact our institution, specifically” Stacey Jaw, MD, chief resident in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, told Healio. “We had seen prior studies before that showed an increase in the use of long-acting reversible contraception within our community. So, we looked at the most common form of contraception, which is permanent contraception, for females at our two listed organizations.”
Jaw and colleagues conducted a retrospective chart review using CPT codes and identified 438 reproductive-aged women who underwent interval tubal sterilization between October 2017 and June 2023 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Their analysis excluded patients who immediately underwent the procedure after birth.
Using a time series analysis, the researchers compared interval tubal sterilization rates 1 year prior to and after the Dobbs decision.
Per month, Jaw and colleagues observed more interval tubal sterilizations performed on average after vs. before the Dobbs decision (10.1 vs. 5.9). The highest number of interval sterilizations was observed in August 2022, with 22 surgeries performed.
“The Dobbs decision happened in June 2022, so the hypothesis is that people knew this was happening. They dropped the papers in March, so they would get in to see the clinician by June or July and then be scheduled for surgery in August,” she said.
Of those who underwent interval tubal sterilization, median gravidity decreased from three to one and median parity decreased from two to one before vs. after Dobbs (P < .001).
“OB/GYNs should counsel and educate patients, offer different resources and different types of contraception and be aware of policy changes and how that can affect your practice,” Jaw said.
For more information:
Stacey Jaw, MD, can be reached at sjaw@obgyn.arizona.edu.