Atendimento à demanda pela esterilização cirúrgica na Região Metropolitana de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil: percepção de gestores e profissionais dos serviços públicos de saúde

Profile of Female Sterilization in Brazil

(1) Background: This study analyzes the profile of female sterilization in Brazil by age, parity, type of delivery, place of delivery, color/race, region of residence, years of schooling, marital status, number of unions, and desired number of children reported by women; (2) Methods: The descriptive analysis is based on the most recent Brazilian database on reproductive health: the 2006 Brazilian National Survey on Demography and Health of Women and Children (PNDS). This dataset has information on the history of pregnancies with live births from January 2001 to July 2007; (3) Results: The study suggests that (a) women with high levels of sterilization, high percentages of more than one pregnancy in the period, and larger parity than the desired number of children tend to have high parity, be black, brown, or indigenous, reside in the North or Northeast, have low levels of education, and have two or more unions; and (b) women with high levels of sterilization, low percentages of more than one pregnancy in the period, and lower parity than the desired number of children tend to have cesarean sections, give birth utilizing private health care obtained through a private insurance plan or direct out-of-pocket payment at private hospitals, and be married. (4) Conclusions: The 1997 family planning law could be altered in order to allow female sterilization in conjunction with childbirth, as a way to attend the demand of Brazilian women in public hospitals. Policies are necessary not only to regulate the public sector, but also to aim better services at private institutions. Female sterilization should be discussed in the context of fertility below the replacement level, as one of its associated factors.

Obstáculos na procura pela esterilização feminina entre mulheres do Bolsa Família

As mulheres pobres do programa Bolsa Família são acusadas de ter mais filhos para ingressar ou permanecer no programa. Em pesquisa etnográfica (2012/2014), analisamos os relatos de cinco beneficiárias e observamos o contrário. Elas procuraram pela esterilização no serviço público de saúde de Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil, para não ter mais filhos e enfrentaram diversos obstáculos. Dentre os impeditivos, apontaram dificuldades na contracepção reversível, bem como restrição da oferta de esterilização no serviço público de saúde, o que aumenta a procura durante o parto cesariano. O argumento de ser beneficiária do Bolsa Família é utilizado para reforçar a condição de pobreza e aumentar as chances de conseguir a esterilização, nem sempre exitoso. Apenas duas mulheres conseguiram realizar a esterilização, atribuindo o êxito à “sorte” ou à “graça de Deus”, não ao acesso a um direito. Os resultados do presente estudo sugerem que o aumento da prole não é resultante do ingresso no programa, e sim à falta de acesso a direitos reprodutivos.

The impact of payment source and hospital type on rising cesarean section rates in Brazil, 1998 to 2008

BACKGROUND

High cesarean section rates in Brazilian public hospitals and higher rates in private hospitals are well established. Less is known about the relationship between payment source and cesarean section rates within public and private hospitals.

METHODS

We analyzed the 1998, 2003, and 2008 rounds of a nationally representative household survey (PNAD), which includes type of delivery, where it took place, and who paid for it. We construct cesarean section rates for various categories, and perform logistic regression to determine the relative importance of independent variables on cesarean section rates for all births and first births only.

RESULTS

Brazilian cesarean section rates were 42 percent in 1998 and 53 percent in 2008. Women who delivered publicly funded births in either public or private hospitals had lower cesarean section rates than those who delivered privately financed deliveries in public or private hospitals. Multivariate models suggest that older age, higher education, and living outside the Northeast region all positively affect the odds of delivering by cesarean section; effects are attenuated by the payment source-hospital type variable for all women and even more so among first births.

CONCLUSIONS

Cesarean section rates have risen substantially in Brazil. It is important to distinguish payment source for the delivery to have a better understanding of those rates.

Family planning in Brazil: why not tubal sterilisation during childbirth?

Sterilisation is the most desired method of contraception worldwide. In 1996, the Brazilian Congress approved a family planning law that legitimised female and male sterilisation, but forbade sterilisation during childbirth. As a result of this law, procedures currently occur in a clandestine nature upon payment. Despite the law, sterilisations continue to be performed during caesarean sections. The permanence of the method is an important consideration; therefore, information about other methods must be made available. Tubal sterilisation must not be the only choice. We argue that review of this restriction will not contribute to the increase in caesarean sections but will allow for greater sterilisation choice for men and women.

[The satisfaction with surgical sterilization provision among the users of the unified health system in a city of São Paulo state]

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the satisfaction with the surgical sterilization performed by Unified Health System (SUS) and to detect factors that can influence the choice between tubal ligation and vasectomy.

METHODS

A total of 235 women and 78 men who were sterilized in a five years time period were interviewed. The studied variables included their socio-demographic features, their reason for sterilization, their opinion on the access to the surgery, the counseling, hospital services and the satisfaction with the procedure.

RESULTS

Most were married or lived together, had an average of 3.4 living children and a mean of 6.7 years of schooling. They declared that the average monthly per capita income was R$ 212.81. The most of them belonged to the social status C. They were white and Catholics. The most of them found easy to obtain the surgery and the waiting time was appropriate. They become satisfied with the counseling and 99% were satisfied with sterilization. However, one fourth, incorrectly, found that sterilization was easy to reverse. A study on the couples showed important differences on choosing vasectomy or tubal ligation.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show that it is necessary for improvement in the information provided to the candidates to sterilization. Although they are satisfied now, they could not be in the future. The evaluation from the perspective of the health service user should take into account not only their opinion, but also their interests.

Avaliação da implementação da assistência ao planejamento reprodutivo em três municípios do Estado do Rio de Janeiro entre 2005 e 2007

OBJETIVOS: avaliar a implementação das ações de assistência ao planejamento reprodutivo (PR) em três municípios fluminenses e os aspectos contextuais. MÉTODOS: pesquisa avaliativa realizada entre 2005-2007. Foram realizadas entrevistas com gestores e profissionais de saúde, observação de serviços e análise de documentos. Para análise do grau de implementação do programa foi desenvolvida matriz de avaliação com três componentes - assistência, educação e gerenciamento - e estabelecidos padrões e critérios. Fontes orais e documentais possibilitaram análise do contexto de implementação. RESULTADOS: a implementação do PR no município metropolitano está avançada e nos municípios do interior é incipiente. Atividades educativas apresentaram maior conformidade com critérios do que atividades clínico-assistenciais. Irregularidade de métodos contraceptivos, problemas na oferta de contracepção cirúrgica, ausência de atenção à infertilidade e à saúde reprodutiva masculina foram aspectos frágeis. Existem equipes multiprofissionais, mas há necessidade de capacitação. No município metropolitano, o gerenciamento do programa é ponto forte, mas nos demais é débil. CONCLUSÕES: o grau de implementação da assistência ao PR se relacionou com desigualdades geopolíticas entre os municípios e aspectos do contexto institucional do SUS - pouca integração da rede assistencial e regionalização limitada. O estudo pode contribuir para institucionalização da prática de monitoramento e avaliação das ações de assistência ao planejamento reprodutivo.