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Paper short abstract

This presentation explores how Finland’s sterilization age limit is experienced by voluntarily childless individuals and physicians. Drawing on doctoral research, it shows that regulation based on the procedure’s age limit often generates tension and confrontation in patient–physician interactions.

Paper long abstract

In Finland, some voluntarily childless people wish to apply for sterilization because they see it as the most suitable contraceptive method for themselves. However, according to the Finnish Sterilization Act (1970/283), a person who does not have significant health reasons for seeking sterilization must be at least 30 years old or have three children, either alone or together with a spouse. Finnish legislation is relatively strict compared to other Nordic countries, where there are no criteria related to the number of children and the age limits for sterilization are lower (e.g., 18 or 25 years).

The age limit of sterilization often evokes strong reactions. Voluntarily childless individuals frequently experience it as paternalistic, whereas physicians tend to see the regulation as a way to protect individuals from possible future regret. Generally, however, the legally defined age limit becomes a factor that generates tension and confrontation between patients and physicians.

This presentation is based on ongoing doctoral research, which includes 31 interviews and 71 thematic writings from voluntarily childless individuals, as well as 12 interviews with physicians working in the field of sterilization, collected between 2021 and 2023. Drawing on this data, I examine in detail how these reactions and tensions are expressed and negotiated in both patients’ and physicians’ experiences.