#Tubal Ligation

[wishful-seeker]

I love being a woman with my tubes tied :)

I always forget about it even though i see my scars everyday and everytime i remember im just: 🙂

[packlllama]

Ya girl is getting her tubes tied. Scheduled the appointment today. Fuuuck this political scene. You aren’t catching me rolling in to 2025 without a guarantee that I’m not going to be in a position of needing an abortion and unable to get one.

[thepatronsaintoffilth]

Just under 2 years to go before I can get my tubes tied without all the pushback. Just shy of 2 years before I can finally reach my semen demon apotheosis, my final form.

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Until medical care and politics and legal practices restore and affirm full body autonomy to those of us with uteruses, it's always morally correct to tie those tubes and stop being (and birthing) the product.

You want more conservative white babies who'll grow up and vote Republican, gentlemen, go get pregnant yourselves.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The June 24, 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer the right to abortion. This decision returned to individual states the power to regulate any aspect of abortion not protected by federal law. Since this ruling, multiple states have limited or completely banned abortion care for people who are pregnant. In at least nine states, abortion is blocked with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Multiple states have banned abortion after 18, 15, or even 6 weeks gestation. These time restrictions make it impossible for patients to use medical information from ultrasounds and/or genetic testing, available later in pregnancy, to determine if a fetus has an anomaly and/or a life-threatening or lethal condition.

These abortion restrictions and laws permitting any citizen to sue anyone “aiding or abetting” an illegal abortion for up to $10,000 has created uncertainty and fear among health care providers trying to provide medical care to pregnant patients experiencing miscarriage, tubal or ectopic pregnancy (when the embryo implants in the fallopian tube, where it cannot become a full term pregnancy; can be lethal to the mother if not treated promptly and correctly), or those who need prenatal genetic counseling. Clinicians are unclear where the lines stand between providing care and committing a felony that could equal jail time, and this means that pregnant people aren’t getting the appropriate and timely care they need, even outside of a healthy, viable pregnancy.

But did you know that the Dobbs decision has also prevented non-pregnant women from receiving the medications they need to treat lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions treated with medications like methotrexate?

Chris Stallman, MLS, MS, is a certified genetic counselor, an expert in medication impact during pregnancy, and a Clinical Instructor of Pharmacy Practice-Science at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. “Methotrexate is a medication used to treat many conditions, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and other autoimmune diseases. If a person who is pregnant uses methotrexate, it could increase the chance of miscarriage, birth defects, and other issues in pregnancy or after birth.”

For this reason, girls and women of child-bearing age who are taking methotrexate as treatment for their autoimmune or other diseases are not able to take methotrexate – even if they are not pregnant.

This critical problem is not hypothetical – treatment with methotrexate has already been withheld from female, non-pregnant patients with serious medical conditions in multiple states.

A 48-year-old woman in Tellico Plains, TN received an automated call from her CVS Pharmacy in July 2022 indicating that her prescription for methotrexate wouldn’t be refilled. This patient, who has inflammatory arthritis and a neuromuscular disease called myasthenia gravis, stated that methotrexate allowed her to resume simple, yet previously painful tasks like putting on her pants and rolling over in bed.

In June 2022, not 24-hours after the Dobbs ruling, a patient in Maryland who has Crohn’s disease received a call from her insurance company indicating that methotrexate, used to treat the chronic inflammation and pain associated with this condition, would no longer be available to her.

Within a week of the Dobbs ruling, a woman in Virginia who has Lupus received a letter from her doctor’s office indicating that it was pausing all prescriptions and refills of methotrexate because of the Supreme Court decision on abortion. Before taking methotrexate she experienced flares of Lupus so severe that she had trouble walking and needed to use a shower chair to wash.

Another woman from Missouri had been taking methotrexate to treat rheumatoid arthritis. When she went to the pharmacy to pick up her refill she learned from the pharmacist that they needed a specific direction from her doctor that the medication would not be used for an abortion. The pharmacy, Walgreens, confirmed with this customer that they do not require the same procedure from their male clients.

A 14-year old girl in Arizona was denied a refill of methotrexate to treat her debilitating rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Her angry physician tweeted that her patient was denied this critical medication because she was female. The withholding of life-saving or -altering medications from the women who need them has forced some of them to consider surgical sterilization.

Could denying women of childbearing age (who may or may not be sexually active, fertile, heterosexual, or pregnant) methotrexate be just the beginning of problems for women who need prescription or over-the-counter medications? Stallman says, “This certainly could lead to more medication denials – and not just for people who can get pregnant. If my husband or children need medication that could increase risks to a pregnancy, would they be denied the medication simply because they live with a person who could get pregnant? Will health care providers have to stop handling or dispensing such medications if they or their partner could get pregnant? And before saying ‘that will never happen’, remember that is what people said about the overturning of Dobbs. We don’t know how far this will go.”

Let’s take this thought experiment a step further. Is it possible that young girls will have to present a letter from their pediatricians indicating whether they’ve started having periods before they can receive the medications they need? Will adult women have to present written proof of tubal ligation, menopause, or infertility from their physicians before filling their life-saving medications? Will other medications that can affect the health of a fetus, even the highly regulated acne medication Accutane, require such additional proof? Could pharmacies use the data they have on prior purchases, like tampons and lubricant, to determine if a woman may be of child-bearing age and/or is sexually active?

The Dobbs decision is just the beginning of our government interfering with womens’ bodies, their personal choices, and their medical care. This decision is already impacting health care outside of pregnancy and could force women and their family members to disclose personal information about their fertility, sexuality, sexual and medical history with pharmacists, medical systems, the government, and the databases that all of them use. Our federal government must act swiftly to ensure that this decision doesn’t lead to further government overreach, discrimination, interference in proper medical care, and tragedy.

[mercsandmonsters]

I don't get it.

My one aunt came over on her lunch break to drop off some money for her brother, my uncle, and I told her I have my consultation for my hysterectomy this Thursday. I showed her the results of the biopsy that was done two weeks ago. She and my mom are insisting I get my tubes tied instead of a hysterectomy. When I try to tell them that I don't want kids, they tell me that getting my tubes tied will prevent that. I told them that I didn't want my period in general, and they said that my period would be lighter, which isn't true.

I looked up the pros and cons of both tubal ligations and hysterectomies. There are more cons than pros for tubal ligation, and my period won't change in severity. My mom and her sister are cisgender women. They don't understand the struggle I have with my gender identity. My mom keeps telling me that it's up to me, but turns around and insists I get tubal ligation.

I didn't want to argue with her or my aunt because I knew I'd say something disrespectful. I kept quiet when my aunt said that I have an idea in my head, and I insisted on getting it done. She's right, but I know what's right for me. She had a hysterectomy in her late 30s and her elder sister, my other aunt, had one too, but I don't know what age she got hers. My aunt who visited said that I would regret having it done.

Honestly, I'd rather live with the regret of getting one, instead of regretting that I didn't get one and my menstrual cycle gets worse over the years.

[tubal-facts]

Just in case it's ever needed, here's our backup of the list of childfree-friendly doctors.

[thescrumblingmidwife]

Are there cons to having your tubes tied? In what places/states would that be easiest as a young unmarried unchildhaving afab person?

Hi Anon!

This is one where I have to speak somewhat generally, because midwives do not perform tubal ligations. I know the procedure can be performed a couple of different ways, and that some of the methods have a longer recovery time than others.

Here are the cons that I can speak to:

Surgical risks - infection, reaction to anesthesia, hemorrhage (uncontrolled bleeding), perforation/trauma to other organs, fever, etc. These risks are not likely, but are possibilities that comes with any surgical procedure.

Surgical recovery - abdominal and/or shoulder pain, bloating, some bleeding at incision site or vaginally, vaginal discharge, risk of incision site infection, nausea/vomiting. Will need to take a few days off of work/school to recover.

Cost may be high or insurance coverage may be limited

Wait times or finding a provider to do it, especially if you are young

Permanent, if you ever change your mind

Regret is a possibility (around 12% report regret... goes down after age 30).

Believe it or not, it's still only 99% effective - there are hormonal birth control methods that are more effective! The failure rate is higher in people under age 30.

If a pregnancy does occur, it is more likely to be ectopic (somewhere other than in the uterus, usually in the tube), which is a medical emergency.

It does not prevent against STIs

Post-tubal ligation syndrome is a not-well-understood outcome in which some people have reported menopause-like symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, a dry vagina, mood swings, trouble sleeping, a lower sex drive, and irregular periods; or heavy, painful periods. It's more likely in people under age 30.

That's a long list, and I don't want you to think I'm telling you that getting tubes tied is bad. It's great for most of the people who do it! But I believe in true informed consent, which means understanding all the possible outcomes.

---

This next part is assuming Anon is in the USA. Unfortunately, I cannot offer advice to anyone anywhere else in the world beyond suggesting you talk to your OBGYN.

As far as where to go, Anon, I'd start with your insurance plan if you have one. They should be able to provide you with a list of providers who are in-network who perform the procedure. From there it may be a matter of calling until you find someone who will see a patient your age. If your insurance covers it, and you could find a provider to do it, it could even potentially be free.

If you don't have insurance, I would start with PlannedParenthood:

If neither of those produces anything, there is a list compiled by an OBGYN from Rochester, NY, Dr. Fran Haydanek. Please read the caveats at the top of the document carefully so you understand what this list is and isn't.

OK, Anon. Hope this helps!

[whozkay]

02.05.24

yesterday was a holiday and guess what I was doing? STUDY! 🤩

this assignment about the book "Pequeno Manual Antirracista" (Small Anti-racist Manual, free translation) by Djamila Ribeiro, was supposed to be delivered at the end of June, but I decided to make it now and delivery today cause I want to see chaos in my classroom (most of them are so dumb that they will get crazy thinking the deadline is today even me myself tolding them it's only for the end of June)

today I'm going to the second step for my road to get a tubal ligation under 25 and no kids.

it's super recent the law for women and men to be able to get sterilized electively under 25 years old and with no kids, and without partner authorization so it's harder to get it.

every step is a big achievement for me, wish me luck 🤞

🎧 soundtrack

[newhologram]

Anyone spoonies have a tubal ligation recovery story? Since I can't get endometriosis excision surgery, I want to at least get a combo exploratory + deal with the cyst + remove the tubes. That way we can confirm what the lesions are (and what stage the endo is) and I can finally have sterilization behind me. I would've preferred to get excision + all of this done in one surgery, but if I don't know how/when that will happen, I might as well get what I can done. I'm super hesitant to potentially put myself through another surgery down the line, but this is the best I can do for now. I've never had an actual surgery like this before. I'm pretty terrified. I know tubal is generally a pretty quick outpatient procedure with a short recovery time, but knowing my sensitive body, I want to be prepared for anything.

[wishful-seeker]

There is something so fucked up about looking up info on tubail ligation recovery because im still hurting and have questions, only to find websites that keep saying "pregnancy is a wonderful thing" and "tubals can have horrible side effects" and "why you shouldn't get a tubal" when im already scared and i fucking hate children and i hate pregnancy because i don't want to fucking die. I just don't want babies. I just don't want to die, why is that so hard for people to respect, why is it so hard to get a tubal in the first place, why does everyone want to force children on me, why is this the world we live in. Hot take: pregnancy is NOT a wonderful thing. Its shitty and scary and if you're chronically I'll you lose all your medications and you suffer and you'll probably fucking die! All so this little thing can live that you don't even fucking want! I don't want a child! Im not going to regret this! I've wanted to be sterile my whole fucking life! SHUT UP, SHUT UP ABOUT YOUR OWN OPINIONS ON MY CHOICES, MY LIFE, MY BODY! I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU, I DON'T CARE ABOUT HAVING A BABY, I JUST WANT TO FUCKING LIVE!

[packlllama]

I get to schedule my tube removal surgery this weeeeek.

[etakeh]

This is a nice, calm, simple rundown on permanent birth control.

They're talking tubal ligation, hysterectomy, vasectomy.

Yeah, the article is from a period tracking app, but the information is accurate and covers things I wish I had known back in the day.

They sure as hell didn't talk about it in high school, and where was I going to learn about it when I was out of school? My *parents*? Pshaw.

My favorite part is where it says

This decision must be yours and it should never be influenced by the opinions of your partner, family members, friends, or anyone else. 

in big bold letters.

[methotrex8]

So…I’m getting my tubes tied next week

I finally found a doctor that agreed to do it despite me being ‘too young’ (27) and not having any kids. And thankfully, this doctor didn’t insult me by demanding a letter of permission from my husband saying that it was okay for me to undergo the procedure (this happened to a friend of mine and my mother). He just told me it was entirely up to me and informed me of the intricacies of the procedure -in other words, treating me like a real human being with autonomy- and had me scheduled

I’m excited, but nervous. I’ve wanted this since I was 15, no joke, and it’s finally happening

So yeah, if there are any others that have been fighting to have this done, this is your sign not to give up. There are doctors that will respect your wishes and your choice

[cuntwrap--supreme]

Got approved for a tubal ligation (on the state's dime) for late November! Super fucking stoked. But it means I have to find someone to drive me to and from Nashville, and that's gonna be more of a problem than taking time off work (which is also a problem).

[tubal-facts]

Update 22 April 2024 -- Backup of the Childfree-Friendly Doctors List

Here's our backup of the list of childfree-friendly doctors.

https://doctors.tubalfacts.com

Pages: 8 Characters: 1,728,234 Headings: 130

Estimated Number of Doctors

US

All Doctors: 2,168

Gynecologists: 1,798

Urologists: 370

International

All Doctors: 161

Gynecologists: 114

Urologists: 47

Canada

All Doctors: 136

Gynecologists: 103

Urologists: 33