THURSDAY, Aug. 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Women are becoming pregnant after having their tubes tied, even though the procedure is considered a “permanent” form of birth control , a new study warns. Between 3% and 5% of U.
S. women who underwent tubal ligation later reported an unplanned pregnancy, according to findings published Aug. 27 in the journal NEJM Evidence .
That means the procedure is less effective than other forms of birth control, researchers concluded. “This study shows that tubal surgery cannot be considered the best way to prevent pregnancy,” said lead researcher Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz , chief of general internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
“People using a contraceptive arm implant or an IUD are less likely to become pregnant than those who have their tubes tied,” Schwarz added in a UCSF news release. The findings come at a time when interest in permanent contraception has increased, thanks to the U.S.
Supreme Court overturning the abortion protections of Roe v. Wade in 2022. “Since the Dobbs decision , many more people are worried about how pregnancy may impact their health and family life,” Schwarz said.
“This is especially true for patients with medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure that can complicate pregnancy.” In tubal ligation, both of a woman’s fallopian tubes are blocked or cut. This prevents female eggs from traveling to the uterus, where they might be fertilized by mal.