What: A qualitative study of postpartum patients and OBGYNs examined what barriers exist for women to get permanent contraception after delivery if they want it. They found that physicians cited age cutoffs and marital status as reasons women did not get the permanent contraception they wanted, and that hospitals lacked the staffing and scheduling needed to provide permanent contraception before discharge.

Key line: “…Furthermore, age-, marital-, and parity-based cutoffs for PC were described by both patients and OB–GYNs in our study. These cutoffs are likely due to literature highlighting the increased risk of regret for PCs performed at a younger age, as well as prior research that clinicians may discourage PC among those with low parity. Yet, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that physicians should avoid using these discrete cutoffs in the provision of PC as they are paternalistic.”

Source: Women’s Health