The stage three trials will include 400 sterilizations worldwide. More than half of those procedures will be done in the United States. The EVMS test site is the only one in the mid-Atlantic region. There are also sites in South Carolina, Arizona, California, Texas, Missouri and Illinois. In addition to physical examinations and evaluations, participants keep diaries and are regularly contacted by phone.
Permanent contraception is a widely recognized priority among women.
Worldwide, over 180 million rely on female sterilization for permanent contraception, according to a 1992 report. It is estimated that another 45 million women will choose sterilization for long-term contraception by the year 2005. For people under the age of 30, oral contraceptives and condoms are the most popular. When a couple has decided on sterilization, it's often difficult to convince the male partner to undergo a vasectomy, which is an office procedure. This new product would provide a means of female sterilization with an office procedure which would be comparable to a vasectomy.