Does vasectomy explain the difference in tubal sterilization rates between black and white women?

Objective: To examine whether the observed difference in tubal sterilization rates between black and white women is dependent on racial/ethnic differences in vasectomy rates. Design: Secondary analysis of national, cross-sectional survey. Setting: 2002 National Survey of Family Growth. Patient(s): Women 15 to 44 years old with a current partner who were able to provide information about their partner's vasectomy status. Intervention(s): None. Main Outcome Measure(s): The primary outcome was tubal sterilization. Among women with a current partner who had not undergone vasectomy, a multivariable logistic regression model was used to estimate the effects of race/ethnicity on tubal sterilization after adjusting for potential confounders. Result(s): Of the 3,391 women in the sample, 14% of white women had a current partner who had undergone vasectomy compared with 5% of Hispanic women and 4% of black women. Among the 3,064 women whose partners had not undergone vasectomy, black women were more likely to undergo tubal sterilization (odds ratio: 1.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 2.2) on the basis of adjusted multivariable analysis. Conclusion(s): After controlling for partner vasectomy status, black women were still more likely to undergo tubal sterilization than white women.