A five–year review of female sterilization at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos

Abstract

Background: Over the decades, female sterilization has become a highly effective, convenient, simple and safe method of long term contraception, attributable to technological and medical advances.
Objective: This study aims at determining the uptake, indications, timing and surgical techniques of female sterilization in LUTH.
Methodology: A retrospective study involving all female clients who had sterilization done at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital  between January 2010 and December 2014. Clinical data were retrieved from the case files and analyzed with SPSS version 19. one hundred and eighteen clients were eligible, however only 115 case files could be located. Available case files had adequate information for the study.
Results: There were 8,695 deliveries with 115 cases female sterilization, resulting in an incidence of 13 per 1000 births. The mean age at sterilization was 37.9 years. Completed family size was the main indication. Ninety percent of the clients had a postpartum procedure and Pomeroy's method was used in 76.5% of the clients.
Conclusion: Female sterilization still has a role to play in family planning in our environment. Majority of the procedure were performed during planned caesarean section.

Keywords: female sterilization, contraception, family planning, Pomeroy, tubal ligation.