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Tubal sterilization remains one of the most commonly requested contraceptive methods in the United States. Catholic hospital policy prohibits all sterilizations, but this ban is not uniformly enforced. We conducted this study to assess obstetrician–gynecologists' beliefs and experiences with tubal ligation in Catholic hospitals.

We interviewed 31 obstetrician–gynecologists geographically dispersed throughout the US who responded to a national survey and agreed to be contacted for a follow-up interview or who were referred by colleagues from the survey sample. Twenty-seven had experienced working in a Catholic hospital. Interviews were open ended and guided by a semistructured instrument. Transcripts were thematically analyzed.

Obstetrician–gynecologists disagreed with strict prohibition of sterilizations, especially when denying a tubal ligation placed the patient at increased …