Serum ferritin levels following female sterilization

Summary

It is suggested that following sterilization a fall in serum ferritin is related to, and provides objective evidence for, an increased menstrual loss. Serum ferritin levels were measured in 206 women before and one year after sterilization by one of three surgical techniques.

Pre-sterilization contraceptive methods were recorded. The ferritin levels fell significantly in 61 per cent, with an average drop from 37 to 29μg/1, the greatest fall being in the group sterilized by the application of clips. The contraceptive method previously used was not shown to influence this fall.