Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure to prevent pregnancy. It has commonly been called "getting your tubes tied," and is also known as female sterilization.
According to ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,) it is ethically permissible to perform a requested sterilization in nulliparous women and young women who do not wish to have children. Providing a permanent sterilization within a reproductive justice framework means that physicians recognize that all women have a right to pursue and to prevent pregnancy.
Sadly, many physicians still approach sterilization requests, particularly from young women, with paternalism. This is what happened to 22-year-old Olivia, who shared her conversation with a gynecologist on TikTok.
In a now-viral video that amassed 2M views, Olivia reenacted the appointment she had where a gynecologist declined her request for sterilization, saying ‘no’ and ‘it’s permanent.’ Below is the full video Olivia posted on her channel that sparked a very important conversation about women’s rights to choose what’s best for them, especially when it comes to their bodies and reproduction systems.
This 22-year-old woman shared how she was refused to be considered for sterilization by a gynecologist, after asserting she did not want children
Image credits: lvdwns
Image credits: lvdwns
Image credits: lvdwns
Olivia received an overwhelming amount of support from other women online expressing their lawful right to decide whether they want to have children or not. “I’ve learned that a significant amount of women have been in the same position being denied tubal litigation and similar procedures,” she commented to the press.
Olivia's video amassed 2M views and sparked a much-needed conversation about women's rights and their choice not to have kids
The woman whose TikTok video went viral says she’s “only 22, unmarried with no children so I wasn’t surprised by my doctor’s response, however a lot of women with several children already are being denied the procedure on the basis that they might want more, or perhaps that they might remarry and their next husband may want a child of his own.”
Image credits: lvdwns
Image credits: lvdwns
According to Olivia, a woman should not be denied care based on her own decision about her own body in the case of a hypothetical divorce/man. “I’m frustrated in my own case, but I can’t imagine these women’s frustration and pain.”
This woman stated something so obvious that sadly doesn't get talked about enough
So she shared her experience on what reactions she gets from other people
She specifically addressed all the men who kept commenting about her decision
The conversation on women’s rights to sterilization and physicians’ paternalism sparked another much-needed debate on the fact that many people still fail to realize: not all women want children and this is totally fine. Olivia said she received support from fellow women who also lack a desire for kids.
“A lot of women were commenting their relief to see someone else with the same ‘child free’ mindset. I guess in the past it’s been pretty taboo for a woman to not want children, never mind be vocal about it, so I’m glad to be a voice for all of the women who feel isolated in that belief,” she commented and added that now that social norms are changing, it's easier to talk about things like this, although there still is a lot of pushback.
More women joined the conversation and shared their own similar experiences
Here's how people reacted to her video
