Sterilisation and Heavy Periods

Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, USA.

Background:

The existence of a post-tubal-ligation syndrome of menstrual abnormalities has been debated for decades. We used data from the U.S. Collaborative Review of Sterilization to determine whether the likelihood of persistent menstrual abnormalities was greater among women who had undergone tubal sterilization than among women who had not.

Methods:

A total of 9514 women who underwent tubal sterilization and 573 women whose partners underwent vasectomy were followed in a multicenter, prospective cohort study for up to five years by means of annual telephone interviews. All women were asked the same questions about six characteristics of their menstrual cycles in the presterilization and follow-up interviews. Multiple logistic-regression analysis was used to assess the risk of persistent menstrual changes.

Results:

The women who had undergone sterilization were no more likely than those who had not undergone the procedure to report persistent changes in intermenstrual bleeding or the length of the menstrual cycle. They were more likely to have decreases in the number of days of bleeding (odds ratio, 2.4; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 5.2), the amount of bleeding (odds ratio, 1.5; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.0), and menstrual pain (odds ratio, 1.3; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.0 to 1.8) and to have an increase in cycle irregularity (odds ratio, 1.6; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.3). Among women who had had very heavy bleeding at base line, women who had undergone sterilization were more likely than women who had not undergone the procedure to report decreased bleeding (45 percent vs. 33 percent, P=0.03).

Conclusions:

Women who have undergone tubal sterilization are no more likely than other women to have menstrual abnormalities.

Please click on the required question.

• 1 Are heavy periods a common problem?
• 2 What is in my menstrual flow?
• 3 What range of menstrual cycle length is considered to be normal?
• 4 How can menstrual blood loss be measured?
• 5 How can I tell if my periods are abnormally heavy?
• 6 What could be the cause of my very heavy menstrual periods?
• 7 I have been sterilised. Could this be the cause of my heavy periods?
• 8 Should I have tests to find the reason for my heavy periods?
• 9 How will my heavy period problems be investigated?
• 10 What is meant by anaemia due to heavy periods?
• 11 What is intermenstrual bleeding?
• 12 What is a hysteroscopy and D and C?
• 13 What is cervical cautery?
• 14 What happens after the D and C?
• 15 What treatments are available for my heavy periods?
• 16 What are the medical treatments available for heavy periods?
• 17 How do the various medical treatments for heavy periods work?
• 18 What would be reasonable initial treatment for a teenager or young woman with heavy periods?
• 19 What is a hysterectomy?
• 20 What are the indications for hysterectomy?
• 21 What are the risks (complications) of hysterectomy?
• 22 What is vault granulation?
• 23 What are the different types of hysterectomy?
• 24 Is it essential to remove the neck of the womb at hysterectomy?
• 25 Should my ovaries be removed or conserved during hysterectomy?
• 26 How long will I be in hospital when I have my hysterectomy?
• 27 I have had a hysterectomy. Do I still need to have smear tests?
• 28 What are the other surgical alternatives to hysterectomy?
• 29 How do endometrial ablation and hysterectomy compare?
• 30 Are there any psychological effects following hysterectomy?
• 31 How do we decide the best treatment for my period problems?
• 32 Could I have some recommended hysterectomy support groups?
• 33 Are there any support groups?
• Intermenstrual Bleeding - Bleeding between periods.

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This is the personal website of David A Viniker MD FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whipps Cross University Hospital, London - Specialist Interests - Reproductive Medicine including Infertility, PCOS, PMS, Menopause and HRT.

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