Female Sterilisation

[GingerDoodle]

Can anyone offer some advice?

Background: I am 32, have been with my husband 13 years and we have a 2.8 year old DD.

I've done the rounds of contraception:

Pills (various varietys) as a teenager - none agreed with me - horrific bleeding.

Depo injections made me an horrific moody beast.

Implant - had 4, (3 before DD so 9 years) and 1 after which I only last 6 months on when I threatened to cut it out. Looking back I had a number of issues but never equated them to the implant. The one after DD had the same effect as the pill.

Coil - actually not bad whilst on it but omg the crash when I had it out was awful.

Essentially we're done with kids and equally with hormonal contraception & coils. I was rather surprised to want a baby in the first place and we were lucky in that we had no problems (my family history of pregnancy is truly awful).

After having my coil out to assess how I'd feel we are very clear 1 child is right for us. After considering it for a number of months I spoke to my Doctor this morning (on the phone; evidently I didn't warrant speaking to in person after explaining what i wanted to the receptionist!)

I asked to come in to discuss being referred for sterilisation. The Dr's blanket response was that the NHS doesn't 'do' female sterilisations.
When I probed about wether this was a local decision or not she was rather vague and very unhelpful. It ended with her telling me to speak go private (which iro 1.5 - 3.5k!) or for my husband to have the snip (which they would fund). When I asked why I was told that its less risky for men (despite the risk of increased rates of prostate cancer) and a complication of female sterilisation is death (it's surgery so I thought that was a given!)

Everything I read online says its a good method of contraception if you are sure you want it and that only reversals are not routinely funded (which i agreed with!). So I guess Im just wondering if anyone has managed to get it done on the NHS and what hoops you had to jump through? I don't even mind being on a waiting list.

It's cheaper to carry out the male operation, but the GP sounds as if she has not kept up to date either with the increase risk of prostate issues (shown to be baseless) but - more importantly - that vasectomy has a 10% risk of the severe side effects (not just discomfort/post op infection) - this is all on NHS webpages, btw, so it's not exactly niche information. There hasn't been a death during female sterilisation in UK since 1970s (ie none since introduction of laparoscopic techniques) and no GA is required for the newer Essure procedure (it is however more expensive).

That said, budgets for sterilisations are under pressure and waiting lists can be lengthy (if you get a referral at all). Can you see a second GP, and hope you get one who is better with these issues?

If funding has been withdrawn in your PCT, they may not however be able to refer.

I had it done on NHS a few years ago. I spoke to one Dr who didn't want to do it purely because I have medical conditions and my husband doesn't and it's easier for a man. I later saw a different Dr and I explained that my husband was needle phobic and simply wouldn't go and I wasn't and was fine with having it done and that my medical conditions were very well controlled and health good. I had also recently had a 3rd unplanned (but very wanted) child but I didn't want a 4th.He said yes and that my medical conditions aren't a problem. The NHS was never an issue. I would go back and see a different Dr if possible.