Aussie mum, 22, denied tubal ligation despite three unplanned pregnancies

[mustachepungoeshere]

http://www.ntnews.com.au/lifestyle/cairns-mum-22-launches-petition-after-doctors-refuse-procedure/news-story/de2a277ff7a0b8ee413c09a2d4e5c139

I fully support her right to make this decision for herself, especially when she is open about struggling to afford three children.

But I'm curious to know which methods have supposedly failed.

She fell pregnant for the first time just four months into her relationship, which has become strained by the couple’s constant struggle to find effective contraception.

[Fresh Bread]

Some people can't use hormonal methods as they get too ill. Plus an allergy to latex would really create problems...

I think she probably won't have time for any more nooky after 3 kids so problem solved ;) But I expect they will allow the hubby to get done eventually.

[Anatidae V]

My aunt had 1 unplanned followed by 2 planned but because she had them young (all done before 25), even though she'd had 3 already, doctors refused until she was 30 because she might change her mind. Her husband had refused to get the snip. So, she got it for herself for her 30th birthday... OTOH, my grandma had her tubes tied, lost a kid and then had the procedure undone and went to have 2 more kids (very lucky). So regrets do happen... But that's different from "can't use contraception, keep having kids" in both cases.

[smalllife]

Too young to say "no more" but old enough to have three kids and be responsible for them.

So grateful that my doctor let me get mine tied at 24 - the child free community has a list of friendly doctors you can search.

[sis]

http://www.ntnews.com.au/lifestyle/cairns-mum-22-launches-petition-after-doctors-refuse-procedure/news-story/de2a277ff7a0b8ee413c09a2d4e5c139

I fully support her right to make this decision for herself, especially when she is open about struggling to afford three children.

But I'm curious to know which methods have supposedly failed.

She fell pregnant for the first time just four months into her relationship, which has become strained by the couple’s constant struggle to find effective contraception.

That's really shitty that they won't let her get her tubes tied.

FWIW I wasn't able to be on any hormonal birth control until a super duper low dose one came out.  When I was 19 I was on the lowest dose on the market available and started getting migraines, my blood pressure shot up etc.  Then the put me on the ring, which was just uncomfortable.  So no hormonal birth control for me until a newer drug hit the market when I was 24? or so.  They wouldn't give me the longer term hormonal stuff because they were afraid I'd have a bad reaction and just have to have it taken out.  I suppose the copper IUD was a possibility but those can make your periods last forever.  Condoms it was for several years.  And though condoms can be pretty effective, they do on occasion break.  Fuck you trojan condoms, never again.  In any case, the struggle to find effective birth control can be real if you struggle with the hormonal stuff.

[snacky]

This is such paternalistic crap. If she wanted plastic surgery or a tattoo she could get them, even though she might regret them later. But control over her own reproductive future? No, she can't have a say in that.
I have several friends who have been in this situation. It is utter nonsense.

[Papa Mustache]

Snacky - you nailed it. Get the morality police or whatever they think they are out of people's lives.

I for one think things like this ought to be free or covered by insurance.

Sure are alot of people regulating a woman's right to get pregnant or deliver a baby but at the same time aren't worried about the future of that baby.

[Tom Bri]

Snacky - you nailed it. Get the morality police or whatever they think they are out of people's lives.

I for one think things like this ought to be free or covered by insurance.

Sure are alot of people regulating a woman's right to get pregnant or deliver a baby but at the same time aren't worried about the future of that baby.

Bit of a contradiction here. It is the doctors who are refusing to do the ligation. You seem to want the law to override their sense of morality or responsibility.

Since this is in Australia, I don't know if public funding covers sterilization or not. In the US Obamacare mandates that insurance cover it. That would still leave individual doctors free to refuse to do one if they thought it was a mistake.

[snacky]

A doctor's morals and values shouldn't dictate the care I receive. Have a medical reason to deny my request? That is fine. That's what doctors are for. Have an opinion about the choices I make about my body? I am an adult in full control of my faculties. I have the right to make bad choices as well as good ones, without some doctor making judgement calls on my behalf.

[pancakes]

Australian doctors can and often do also refuse to prescribe birth control based of their personal beliefs.

Her husband has also been refused surgery because he is married to a 22 year old. Let them make their own choices.

[BlueMR2]

So grateful that my doctor let me get mine tied at 24 - the child free community has a list of friendly doctors you can search.

It is surprisingly hard to find doctors that will do that.  The claim is always fear of lawsuit, for when she gets older and changes her mind.

All comes back to the problem of trying to decide if someone is an adult yet and capable of making that choice.  It's something we try to put an age on, but there are 30 year olds that can't make this decision, but there are also 16 year olds that can.  Tough for a doctor that only sees you for 8 minutes (current average per visit)...

Going off on a bit of a tangent, there seems to be a belief that once one is 18 that they're an adult.  In the USA, you have not received full adult privileges until the age 35 (with steps at 16, 18, 21, and 26 along the way)!

[JLR]

I wonder if she has many options in her area for different doctors.

We lived in a rural area when we were 24/25 with three kids. We travelled to a surgeon 2 hours away so my husband could get a vasectomy. The dr was happy to do it so long as he was sure that we were certain about the decision. He said if there was even a little uncertainty he wouldn't do it. And he wasn't happy for us to be sure now but to hope that reversal was an option in the future if we changed our minds - we needed to be certain this was the right 'forever' choice for us.

So, it was done in the public hospital an hour from our home, when the surgeon visited there a few weeks later. No out of pocket expenses. No private health insurance.

[pancakes]

I was chatting to a doctor who works about 2 hours away from the woman in this story. They told me that they have had success referring women in their early 20's to one surgeon who will perform a tubal ligation after a 12 month consideration period if they still want to go ahead.

12 months is a long time to wait but better than a flat no.

[cacaoheart]

I tell my friends in the US that if they want better birth control go to planned parenthood. They were going to let me get a vasectomy when I was 25, and when my then fiancee decided she'd rather get an IUD, they put that in for her. This was before Obamacare, but it still only cost her a $15 co-pay with insurance. Now it would be free. Many of our friends were told by other doctors that an IUD wasn't an option because they hadn't had kids yet.

[Cassie]

My ex and I had 3 kids by the time I was 25. But he was 8 years older so the doc had no problem giving him a vasectomy.  This same doc tried to talk a few of my friends with only 2 kids out of it. When he asked how many kids we had and we said 3 he said "When do you want to have it?"  I guess 3 was the magic #.  Her DH is 30 so they should definitely let him have a vasectomy. Her age should have nothing to do with this. For us this was a long time ago as I am now 62.  Her health during pregnancies should also be an indicator that she needs permanent birth control.  Also some young women have had serious liver problems even leading to death from BC pills so she may not be a candidate.  It is her choice to make even if she is sorry down the road but with 3 kids I doubt she will be.

[a-scho]

I totally believe this woman should be allowed to have the tubal ligation, if that is what she wants.

BUT, until that happens, she could try a little harder to prevent a pregnancy naturally, hormonal contraceptives or condoms totally optional. It involves keeping close tabs on her cycle and not letting anything near her business during ovulation. If the husband tries to get amorous during that time, she can ask if he's interested in raising baby #4. If not, F@#$ O^&!!!! This may be a bit TMI, but I've had sex a bajillion times without ever being on the pill or any other kind of hormonal contraception and without using condoms and have never gotten accidentally pregnant(45 years old), so yeah it can be done.