Tubal Ligation No Cause for Menstrual Abnormalities

A study has found that women who undergo tubal ligation have no more menstrual abnormalities than other women. The study results were reported in The New England Journal of Medicine (2000;343:1681-1687).

Although tubal ligation is a highly effective method of contraception, it has been considered a possible cause of persistent menstrual abnormalities. To determine if this is so, a multicenter study was conducted that involved 9,514 women who underwent tubal sterilization and 573 women whose partners underwent vasectomy. The researchers found that the women who had tubal ligation were no more likely than other women to have persistant changes in intermenstrual bleeding or the length of the menstrual cycle.

However, the study did find that women who underwent tubal ligation were more likely to have fewer days of bleeding, reduced bleeding, and less menstrual pain but to have an increase in cycle irregularity. The researchers could not determine the reason for these changes.