Been refused a termination on medical grounds

[TotallyKerplunked]

Has this ever happened to anyone else? What did you do?

Been refused a termination today because of my blood pressure. It took a lot for me to make the decision to have a termination, I've had such shitty pregnancies and deliveries that I just couldn't face been pregnant again.

No self referral in my county so it's taken 5 weeks for me to get passed around from GP, 3 different sexual health clinics (several assessments, told I wasn't even pregnant, lost notes) and today spent 4 hours at Marie Stopes to be told "no" that my blood pressure is too high and that the clinic that referred me passed no info for them to judge before I got there.

I've never felt so low, just been crying since I got back. I have terrible anxiety and it took a lot to get there today. I can't get an appointment with the GP for >2 weeks and I'm already 13 weeks, I don't know what to do, I saw the scan, I'm not sure I can wait for the GP, wait til some meds start working then wait another 2 weeks for another appointment at the clinic.

Can someone please talk to me? DH only contribution is to keep saying its up to me.

Oh that's terrible OP.

I don't know what to suggest - but I am certain that having high blood pressure shouldn't preclude you from the termination. You can't be the first woman with high BP.

Make an emergency apointment with your GP - tell the receptionist it's an emergency and you can't wait 2 weeks - and ask for an NHS referral urgently. I would be surprised if high blood pressure would stop the NHS from carrying out the procedure.

Good luck

Oh OP, poor you

Did Marie Stopes offer any kind of solution, surely there must be some way of managing your blood pressure and performing an abortion safely? There are two options aren't there - medical and surgical abortion, surely they can't both have been ruled out?

Assuming you're in the U.K. you can legally have an abortion up to 24 weeks - although obviously the sooner the better. But just wanted to make the point that you still have time so try not to panic just yet.

If Marie Stopes weren't helpful could you try BPAS instead??

I've gone past the medical abortion limit because the NHS sexual health clinic fucked up several times. They would do the medical there but refer to Marie Stopes for surgical.

Can't go through BPAS as my county only refer to Marie Stopes, so if I did I would have to pay privately, no guarantee they would do it either. Marie Stopes made it clear that it was too risky for them to carry on in case "something" happened, they seemed to think I would bleed excessively and have to be transferred to hospital, basically covering their arses.

Marie Stopes told me to present at A+E and get some emergency blood pressure meds. Fab use of resources there and i'm sure they would tell me to get lost as its an pre-existing condition that my GP has already refused to medicate preferring to monitor and try to control through diet.

I'm pretty sure the anxiety is not helping my blood pressure at all. I feel completely stuck, the main reason for going ahead in the first place was to try and protect my health.

You can self refer to BPAS and use any of their clinics. You don't need to be referred.
If you are clinically unfit for treatment at a stand alone Centre they should refer you to local hospital gynaecologist from ToP clinic.
A and E is not the answer. Go to GP for urgent referral to NHS gynae unit.

It sounds like your too far gone to have medical termination now.

What the fuck do they think will happen to your blood pressure during pregnancy??? Will it then be too risky to do a delivery or a caesarian? What bizarre logic.

Oh god, this is awful. Agree with Mermaid, your blood pressure will be worse through pregnancy?

I can't believe they have messed you around like this. No wonder your blood pressure is up.

If you go to the GP, say it's an emergency, would that work? and they can surely put you on something like Labetalol - and that starts to work quickly.

Did they give you an indication of what to do in order to lower your BP, i.e what does it need to be to go through with procedure?

So sorry you are going through this

I can't believe this either op, and also came on to say the same as mermaid. Being pregnant is terrible for blood pressure (probably worse when you're being forced to carry a baby that you don't want). I've never heard of anyone being denied an abortion on health grounds. My understanding was that in all circumstances abortion is less risky than childbirth.

So sorry op, i don't have any constructive advice but I'm so sorry you're going through this.

Yes termination is less risky but the stand alone clinics have very clear exclusion criteria and where women have comorbidities, there are straightforward referral pathways to NHS gynae units. You can't sedate/anaesthetise someone safely if they have certain medical conditions. Both MSI and BPAS exclusion criteria form part of the commissioning contract. It doesn't stop women having terminations but means they are cared for safely in correct settings.

I was also refused a termination at a NHS clinic due to my BP... They would refer to a hospital to do a surgical though.

I'm so sorry you're going through this OP.

I see crumbs. Thanks for the clarification.