A new study highlights the potential risk of ectopic pregnancy following tubal sterilization for women. The results of the study appeared in an article by Dr. Herbert B. Peterson and colleagues published in the March 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Tubal sterilization is a safe and highly effective method of preventing pregnancy, but it does fail. Because failure rates for female sterilization are relatively low (less than 2% over 10 years), the actual number of ectopic pregnancies is also quite low. But when pregnancy does occur, the risk of an ectopic is significant--about a 1 in 3 chance. The new study indicates that the risk persists for up to 10 years after sterilization.

Dr. Amy E. Pollack, president of AVSC, observed, "The new study is important because it reminds us that pregnancy can and does occur after tubal sterilization, and that ectopic pregnancy--a very serious medical condition--is a possibility. This study points to the importance of education for both women and health care providers."

In ectopic pregnancy, implantation of the embryo occurs elsewhere than in the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. The condition requires immediate medical attention.

A woman considering a tubal sterilization and the health care provider who counsels her need to take this risk into account as the woman makes her decision. Similarly, a woman who has already had the procedure and the providers who care for her need to be aware of the potential risk and the signs of ectopic pregnancy. Those signs include missed periods, abdominal pain, or irregular vaginal bleeding.