{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T08:57:55Z","timestamp":1791968275421,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2013,10,16]],"date-time":"2013-10-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1381881600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Hastings Center Report"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    <jats:italic>Approximately 47 percent of women ages fifteen to forty\u2010four are currently without children, and slightly more than 20 percent of white women in America will never bear children, the highest percentage in modern history. Many fertile women who are childless are voluntarily so. Although any competent person twenty\u2010one years or older is legally eligible for voluntary sterilization, many doctors refuse to sterilize childfree women. This essay explores various reasons a woman would want to continue in her childfree lifestyle, evaluates the accessibility of sterilization for women who are childfree by examining the reported reasons for denial of sterilization\u2014both from the woman's and the physician's perspective\u2014and assesses the legal status of voluntary sterilization for nonparous women. The essay also urges physicians to follow recommended guidelines for counseling women who, regardless of parity, desire sterilization and to provide this contraception if, after careful consideration, there are no outstanding health or other reasons that the procedure should not be performed<\/jats:italic>\n                    .\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/hast.216","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,10,7]],"date-time":"2014-10-07T07:17:55Z","timestamp":1412666275000},"page":"36-44","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":42,"title":["Voluntary Sterilization for Childfree Women"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"43","author":[{"given":"Cristina","family":"Richie","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2013,10,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_8_2_1","unstructured":"United States Census Bureau Reports \u201c\u2018Delayer Boom\u2019 as More Educated Women Have Children Later \u201d May 9 2011 http:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/releases\/ar\u2010chives\/fertility\/cb11\u201083.html."},{"key":"e_1_2_8_3_1","unstructured":"Centers for Disease Control \u201cAssisted Reproductive Technology (ART): What Is Assisted Reproductive Technology? \u201dhttp:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/art\/."},{"key":"e_1_2_8_4_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Childlessness Up among All Women: Down among Women with Advanced Degrees","author":"Livingston G.","year":"2010","journal-title":"Pew Research Center"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_5_1","unstructured":"Voluntary Sterilization Act(1974\u201012\u201027)(Chapter 347) Section 3 (2) a\u2010c."},{"key":"e_1_2_8_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.330.7503.1323"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_7_1","article-title":"Childless by Choice Through Sterilization","author":"Wallace A.","year":"2011","journal-title":"Toronto Star"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/3527746"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8519.2008.00687.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_10_1","first-page":"33","volume-title":"Genetics: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy","author":"Patterson A.","year":"2005"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_11_1","volume-title":"Pride and Joy: The Lives and Passions of Women without Children","author":"Casey T.","year":"1998"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_12_1","article-title":"Meet the Women Who Won't Have Ba\u2010bies\u2014Because They're Not Eco Friendly","author":"Courtenay\u2010Smith N.","year":"2007","journal-title":"The Daily Mail"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_13_1","unstructured":"2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture Alexandria VA United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion Expenditures on Children by Families 1 32"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_14_1","unstructured":"S.Lagier \u201cTo Retire Early Don't Have Kids \u201dUS News: Money September 29 2010 http:\/\/money.usnews.com\/money\/blogs\/on\u2010Retirement\/2010\/09\/29\/to\u2010retire\u2010early\u2010dont\u2010have\u2010kids."},{"key":"e_1_2_8_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01255486"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0891243202238982"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0891243202238982"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_18_1","unstructured":"Food and Drug Administration \u201cBirth Control Guide \u201d March 21 2012 http:\/\/www.fda.gov\/forconsumers\/byaudi\u2010ence\/forwomen\/ucm118465.htm."},{"key":"e_1_2_8_19_1","first-page":"595","article-title":"Contraceptive Attitudes and Practice in Women Choosing Sterilization","author":"Bledin K. D.","year":"1984","journal-title":"Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_20_1","unstructured":"Wallace \u201cChildless by Choice.\u201d"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_21_1","unstructured":"Anonymous personal communication with the author August 17 2012."},{"key":"e_1_2_8_22_1","volume-title":"Childfree and Sterilized, Women's Decisions and Medical Responses","author":"Campbell A.","year":"1999"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_23_1","volume-title":"Christian Ethics: Contemporary Issues and Options","author":"Geisler N. L.","year":"2010"},{"issue":"29","key":"e_1_2_8_24_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Use of Contraception in the United States, 1992\u20132008","volume":"23","author":"Mosher W. D.","year":"2010","journal-title":"Vital and Health Statistics"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_25_1","volume-title":"Use of pill, 28.0 percent; use of female sterilization, 27.1 percent; use of male sterilization, 9.9 percent (2006\u20132008)"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_26_1","unstructured":"Wallace \u201cChildless by Choice.\u201d"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_27_1","first-page":"xiv","volume-title":"Childfree and Sterilized","author":"Campbell"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_28_1","first-page":"81","volume":"23","author":"Campbell","journal-title":"Childfree and Sterilized"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_29_1","first-page":"189","volume-title":"Two Is Enough","author":"Scott"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00004583-200104000-00017"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/00004583-199702000-00017"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2135262"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_8_33_1","first-page":"67","article-title":"The Availability of Reproductive Health Services from U.S. Private Physicians","volume":"17","author":"Terry orr M.","year":"1985","journal-title":"Family Planning Perspectives"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_2_8_34_1","first-page":"67","article-title":"The Availability of Reproductive Health Services from U.S. Private Physicians","volume":"17","author":"Terry orr M.","year":"1985","journal-title":"Family Planning Perspectives"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0015-0282(16)44892-2"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_8_36_1","first-page":"41","article-title":"Why Women Seek Reversal of Sterilization","volume":"72","author":"Poma P. A.","year":"1980","journal-title":"Journal of the National Medical Association"},{"issue":"20","key":"e_1_2_8_37_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Surgical Sterilization in the United States: Prevalence and Characteristics, 1965\u201395","volume":"23","author":"Centers for Disease Control\/National Center for Health Statistics","year":"1998","journal-title":"Vital and Health Statistics"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/geront\/32.5.618"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_39_1","first-page":"711","article-title":"Profle of Women Who Request Reversal of Tubal Sterilization: Comparison with a Randomly Selected Control Group","volume":"138","author":"Marcil\u2010Gratton N.","year":"1988","journal-title":"Canadian Medical Association Journal"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0029-7844(02)01981-6"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0029-7844(02)01981-6"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_2_8_42_1","first-page":"23","article-title":"Sterilization in the United States","volume":"1","author":"Ibid.","year":"2008","journal-title":"Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_43_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.285.6340.490"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_44_1","article-title":"Young, Childless, and Snipped","author":"Goodman M.","year":"2008","journal-title":"CNN Living"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_45_1","article-title":"Demanding the Right to Reproduce: Voluntary and Forced Sterilization in America","author":"Van Deven M.","year":"2009","journal-title":"RH Reality Check"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_46_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/3561518"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_47_1","first-page":"167","article-title":"Challenging the Monologue about Silent Sterilizations: Implications for Self Advocacy","volume":"34","author":"Roets G.","year":"2006","journal-title":"Blackwell Journal Compilations"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_48_1","article-title":"The 120 Rule of Sterilization","author":"Walden R.","year":"2008","journal-title":"Women's Health News"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_49_1","volume-title":"Fit To Be Tied: Sterilization and Reproductive Rights in America, 1950\u20131980","author":"Kluchin R. M.","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_50_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.63.7.573"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_51_1","unstructured":"Voluntary Sterilization Act (1974\u201312\u201327)(Chapter 347) Section 3 (2) a\u2010c."},{"key":"e_1_2_8_52_1","unstructured":"Center for Research on Populations and Security \u201cRockefeller Commission on Population Growth \u201d see discussion of voluntary sterilization http:\/\/www.popula\u2010tion\u2010security.org\/10\u2010CH2.html."},{"key":"e_1_2_8_53_1","article-title":"HHS oKs Birth Control with No Co\u2010pay","author":"Rice S.","year":"2011","journal-title":"CNN News"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_54_1","article-title":"The Human Condition: Women Who Don't Want to Be Mother","author":"Hopwood B.","year":"1995","journal-title":"The Independent"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_55_1","first-page":"108","volume-title":"New Voices from Iceland: Disability and Young Adulthood","author":"Bjarnason D. 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