Attitudes and reactions of general practitioners and gynecologists to their patients demand for sterilization in the Rennes sanitary district.

Abstract

International audienceA survey was done in 1975-1976 in Rennes, France, among gynecologists and urban and rural practitioners, to study their attitudes and reactions toward their patients' requests for female or male sterilization. 88% of them, among whom 94% were gynecologists, had already suggested tubal ligation to a number of patients. Reasons given, especially by 93% of gynecologists, were multiparity and age of mother; strictly medical reasons were also considered. In 1975 physicians had received a total of 101 requests for vasectomy, 50% of which were addressed to only 5 doctors. Most of these patients were referred for the procedure to other doctors outside the Rennes sanitary region. Asked about their use of contraception 68% of doctors stated to use the pill or IUD; 25.3% used a traditional method, and 6.7% of couples had one partner sterilized, against only 2.5% of sterilized patients. Data show that contraception was used more by doctors than by the general population of Rennes, and that female sterilization was done more frequently than male sterilization. Female sterilization was usually performed postabortum, mostly in women with parity over 4 and/or between the ages of 40-45. Most sterilization acceptors belonged to the category of farmers