Surgical sterilization among women and use of condoms--Baltimore, 1989-1990.

Since 1980, surgical sterilization among women has become the most common contraceptive method used among women aged greater than 30 years in the United States and is used by 28% of women aged 15-44 years. A previous report of women in drug treatment suggested that women who have been surgically sterilized were less likely to report condom use--an effective measure for prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)--than were nonsterilized women. This report summarizes a study of the relation between surgical sterilization, risk status for STDs and HIV, and use of condoms among women who reside in two inner-city, minority neighborhoods in Baltimore.