“Even if the female fallopian tubes are tied for contraception”… 3% of women are pregnant within a year, the younger the woman, the higher the risk

Women who choose to have their tubal ligation performed to prevent pregnancy may have a higher risk of unplanned pregnancy than expected, a study suggests.

Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure that ties the fallopian tubes that carry the egg to the uterus, thereby blocking the fallopian tubes, which are the passage for sperm, and preventing the egg and sperm from meeting. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), less than 1% of patients become pregnant after tubal ligation. This is an estimate based on past studies.

Among these, the results of a study showing that the actual pregnancy rate after tubal ligation may be higher than previously known were recently published in the digital journal of the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM Evidence.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, analyzed data from 31,000 women collected from 2002 to 2015, of whom 4,184 responded that they had undergone tubal ligation. The results showed that 2.9% of women who had tubal ligation between 2013 and 2015 became pregnant within a year of the surgery. The chance of pregnancy was highest for those who were younger at the time of the surgery.

“For those who want permanent contraception, unwanted pregnancy can be distressing,” the researchers said. “This study shows that tubal surgery is not the best way to prevent pregnancy.” They continued, “People who use an intrauterine device (IUD) or an arm-implanted contraceptive device are less likely to become pregnant than those who have their fallopian tubes tied.”