Earlier this month, Michigan state lawmaker Laurie Pohutsky announced that she had undergone a sterilization procedure because she did not want to risk getting pregnant with Donald Trump as president. Pohutsky, who is 36, stated that she and her husband had already decided against having more children. Her announcement at a political rally garnered international attention and even resulted in death threats.
While the public backlash primarily concerned the politicization of a deeply personal decision, her statement also highlighted a rising trend: a significant increase in young women opting for permanent sterilization. According to research published in Health Affairs, the number of tubal ligations among women aged 19–26 doubled after May 2022, coinciding with the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which returned the question of abortion to the states. “Our study shows that the Dobbs decision has had a profound effect on young adults’ reproductive choices, leading many to opt for permanent contraception,” said Julia Strasser, director of the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health at The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
For Catholics, this trend is deeply troubling. The Church has long taught that sterilization as a means of birth control is morally impermissible. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2399) states that “the regulation of births represents one of the aspects of responsible fatherhood and motherhood,” but it must be done in accordance with moral law, rejecting direct sterilization as “intrinsically evil.”
The Risk of Regret and Moral Consequences
Even secular medical professionals acknowledge the potential for regret among those who undergo sterilization, particularly at a young age. The Wall Street Journal reported on studies indicating that people in their late 20s make more informed and mature decisions than those in their early 20s. One study found that “more than a quarter of women who had elective tubal ligation later had regret.” The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) echoed this concern, stating, “In this study, young age at the time of sterilization was significantly associated with regret.”
The Church, in its wisdom, recognizes that many individuals may later experience sorrow over such permanent decisions. Pope St. John Paul II, in Evangelium Vitae, warned against the cultural forces that seek to sever procreation from marital love, emphasizing that the dignity of human life and openness to children should never be sacrificed for personal or societal convenience.
The Role of Catholic Teaching and Natural Family Planning
The secular world increasingly sees sterilization as a form of “empowerment,” yet it disregards the spiritual and moral ramifications. As Catholics, we know that life is a gift from God, and procreation is part of His divine plan for marriage. The Church offers natural family planning (NFP) as a morally licit alternative that respects both God’s law and the dignity of human sexuality. Unlike sterilization, which permanently closes the door to life, NFP allows couples to work in harmony with God’s design while exercising responsible parenthood.
Moreover, sterilization is not without medical risks. As Planned Parenthood states on its website, tubal ligation is “do it once, lasts forever.” However, the reversal process is not always successful, with pregnancy rates after reversal ranging from 50–80%, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This means that for many women, the decision is truly irreversible, closing off not only the possibility of future children but also a fundamental aspect of marital love as intended by God.
A Call to Embrace Life
In a world that increasingly promotes the rejection of fertility and even celebrates sterilization with so-called “sterilization parties,” Catholics must stand firm in defending the sanctity of life and openness to God’s will. The modern mindset, which sees children as a burden rather than a blessing, is a stark contrast to the biblical view that proclaims, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3).
Catherine Pakaluk, a social scientist at The Catholic University of America, argues that many young women fail to realize how their views on children may change over time. She references research from the University of California, Berkeley, which found that “although desired fertility is quite unstable, most women perceive their desires to be stable.” Pakaluk warns, “Because you feel one way at 23, you might not feel that way at 33.”
Ultimately, the Church calls us to trust in God’s providence and to reject the culture of sterility in favor of a culture of life. Catholics must promote authentic discussions about fertility, responsible parenthood, and the dignity of human sexuality, while offering compassion to those who may have been misled by the secular world’s false promises.
As Pope Francis reminds us, “A society that does not value children and families will not have a future.” Let us pray for a renewed respect for life and for all those struggling to embrace God’s plan for marriage and parenthood.
