Sterilisation not available on the NHS! WTF??

[BendyLikeBeckham]

GP told me she was emailed this week to tell her the NHS cannot offer female sterilsation unless there are exceptional circumstances .

I just want a permanent form of contraception please without hormones or a metal device shoved up me. I've had my kids and any more would be dangerous to my health.

FFS I'm so annoyed. Poxy Tory austerity cuts.

I'd prioritise care for MH over female sterilisation any day.

They're different budgets. Cutting from one doesn't fund the other . It's not up to you to prioritise and quite insulting to assume unwanted pregnancy, fear of unwanted pregnancy doesn't affect a woman's mental health. Or suggesting their wreck their marriage by no longer having sex. Way to go!

Condoms aren't as reliable, true, but any time I've had one break and wasn't on the pill, I've used the MAP as a backup.

Good for you. Some women won't, particularly if hormones are a problem for them which will disproportionately be the case for those wanting sterilisation, others will but it won't work.

There simply isn't any way round the fact that more people using a less reliable method of contraception is going to lead to more unwanted pregnancies.

Both services are commissioned by the CCGs.

PaulDacrreRimsGeese, no contraceptive is 100 per cent. Not even sterilisation.

That's been mentioned on here several times.

I’d have a look online at “post tubal ligation syndrome” before you press the issue. Huge, huge numbers of women who are suffering irreversible side effects after sterilisation, including endometriosis, complete loss of sex drive, early menopause etc.

So far the medical community is not acknowledging it. I suspect it will be the next mesh scandal. I would never have it done even if they offered - it’s already been recommended that I have a hysterectomy and I’m putting it off as long as I can.

Indeed hereigo, but that doesn't actually refute my point.

Some methods of contraception are less reliable than others. Pointing this out doesn't mean one is trying to suggest the more reliable method is perfect, and nobody has. And when people want one method that's denied to them and they then use one that's less reliable, there will be more conceptions. There's really no way round this.

I went along to my appointment and was told dp needed to have a vasectomy instead.

She had listed in front of her all the reasons a pregnancy would be dangerous to my health, the fact that I’d had to have a termination due to contraceptive failure and the immediate impact on my physical and mental health because of it. I sat there arguing with this idiot that whether I was with dp or someone else, I wanted the procedure for me because it is my body a pregnancy affects.

She stormed off to consult with her superior (in the corridor no less! No patient confidentiality!! My dp heard the whole thing because he was sat waiting for me) who immediately asked for the file and told her to put me on the waiting list.

She was furious when she reappeared. Said that whilst the dr had approved, she was seeking a second opinion. Twat. I told her that whilst she was seeking a second opinion I was reporting her to pals and if she couldn’t do the job without bias (she was heavily pregnant) she ought to consider whether she was doing the best for her patients and if she needed to take on different cases.

So I’m on the waiting list. Thank god

Is there a reason your OH can’t have a vasectomy?

SinkGirl, I had a consultation for sterilisation and didn't go through with it for the reasons you mentioned. There is this idea that it is a fool-proof symptom-free solution to unwanted pregnancy.

I found there to be so many side effects, including severe mood swings, hormone imbalance, migraine and early onset of menopause.

There is a lot to weigh up. I decided to stick with the pill, because although I'd prefer not to take hormones, I've been taking it for years and at least I know what I'm dealing with.

PaulDacrreRimsGeese, of course using a less effective method can result in more unwanted pregnancy. Is it the States responsibility then to control this or the individuals? I believe it is the individual's responsibility.

If someone doesn't qualify and is desperate for sterilisation then they have to pay for it. It really is as simple as that. We are only going around in circles .

I wonder how many on here saying it's unfair could legitimately afford it but don't want to pay because "they paid their taxes over the years" do it should be free?

I have quite severe endometriosis, lesions on my cervix and a family history of cancer.

We categorically don't want more DC.

Sterilisation would massively reduce my risk of cancer and would mean I no longer need hormone treatment or prescription painkillers. Ultimately it would save the NHS money.

But I can't have sterilisation on the NHS.

DH could have the snip though, which serves no medical purpose whatsoever other than serving as a permanent form of contraception.

Wtf is that about?

I’m 36 with 5 children. I had to go to my GP 3 times to be ‘allowed’ to be sterilised. I had it done June of this year and I have friends that are having it done too.
I have no medical reasons why I shouldn’t have any more babies, I just have enough of the ones I have 😂
I didn’t think the NHS had stopped it. I would only suggest to keep going to the doctors and keep asking. Good luck 😊

I wonder how many on here saying it's unfair could legitimately afford it but don't want to pay because "they paid their taxes over the years" do it should be free?

At £2-3k there will be a lot of people who cannot afford it. But hey, they can always get terminations free. You have 2 or 3 of those, that's probably about the same cost. My h had a vasectomy after our 3rd, but that was his choice. He decided that after the Mirena turned me into an endlessly bleeding depressive with cystic acne that took a NHS dermatologist to sort out as the postules on my back and shoulders made me bleed every time I carried something. I couldn't take the combined pill anymore due to high blood pressure, the mini pill had the same effect as the Mirena, was told not to use Depo or the implant after the reactions I had to Mirena and mini pill and condoms resulted in DS. I also had fibroids so the copper coil was a no-go. But hey, we should have just been celibate forever.

PaulDacrreRimsGeese, of course using a less effective method can result in more unwanted pregnancy. Is it the States responsibility then to control this or the individuals? I believe it is the individual's responsibility.

Frankly I don't really know what you even mean here. It isn't within the control of the individual to make even perfect condom usage as reliable as other methods, nor to make themselves able to tolerate hormones or a copper coil if they couldn't otherwise, after all.

What we do know for certain though is that the state, in the form of the NHS, will bear financial responsibility for people being denied a more effective form of contraception. This is the bottom line, and thus is of much more importance than philosophical discussions about the nature of responsibility when people aren't allowed the most reliable and suitable form of contraception for them.

Whenever this topic comes up, there are always posters who come up with arguments about responsibility and how people will just have to do this and that, which they clearly find very persuasive. Meanwhile back in the real world none of that actually matters: the NHS bearing financial responsibility does.

If someone doesn't qualify and is desperate for sterilisation then they have to pay for it. It really is as simple as that.

Yes, I think we've all worked out that if you can't get the NHS to pay for something, even if that subsequently means you costing the NHS more, then you either pay for it yourself or go without. That's a given.

Depends on your local CCG, it’s not a national decision. Guess you can get PALS and your MP involved?

@FrangipaniBlue Not sure how sterilisation would do most of that for you?

@SinkGirl I agree. I work in the gynae department in a hospital and there are often people coming back with problems post sterilisation.

I don't think sterilisation should be routinely available on the NHS without good reason. Other methods of contraception are more effective, and the time and resources can definitely be better diverted elsewhere. Out of all the patients who fail to attend or cancel operations on the day without good reason 90% are for sterilisation I would say. So many seem to change their mind last minute and it's a frustrating waste of resources.

We still do the procedure at my hospital but funding for each case has to be approved by the CCG as it's a low priority procedure, unless taking place at same time as a surgical termination

frangipaniblue so sorry to hear of your experiences.

sheldonoscopy well done you!

I don't have a DH for those who asked or assumed, and questioned re vasectomy. I am in a very new relationship.

I believe I should have the choice of whatever contraception method I choose. Contraception is free on the NHS, yet they ration some forms of It now, thereby taking away my free choice.

I cannot afford to pay privately and shouldn't have to. That is what the NHS is for. Free healthcare at the point of delivery for all.

gnomes I guess that's what I'll have to do then to get my sterilisation. Get pregnant, leave it too late for medical abortion, go for surgical abortion under GA, and ask for my tubes tied at the same time. Great plan.

Honestly, I’m torn on it. I think women should have choice but I also think it’s okay to ration an option that’s many more times as expensive and dangerous than other options, unless the other options are not viable for medical reasons.

As I said, I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole and I would definitely encourage anyone who’s considering it to do some research first. You wouldn’t think that sterilisation could cause such severe hormonal imbalance and other issues and yet it’s happening to so many women. It’s quite scary.

I’ve had every hormone treatment going due to endometriosis and adenomyosis and after the experiences I’ve had there’s no way I’d have anything that I can’t control, reverse, stop and start as I feel necessary. If you are unfortunate enough to have problems following tubal ligation, good luck getting the nhs to take it seriously. I saw my mum go through this with mesh. Women’s healthcare is utterly appalling at times.

How much of this is truly a result of sterilisation and not the perimenopause or menopause? I had some really nasty shit go down during both, and had to jig about HRT quite a bit and had some pretty awful effects. Similarly, I had some effects of 4 pregnancies and 3 lives births, 2 instrumental, that came back to haunt me in my 40s.

@Gnomesofthegalaxy tubes tied wouldn't, but a hysterectomy would which is what my GP says no to

If its a new relationship than you should probably be using condoms anyway (not helpful to you, I know). Im guessing that the chance of another condom failure is low.

Frangipani have you seen a gynaecologist lately? I saw one last year and they’re urging me to have a hysterectomy due to endo and adenomyosis. I’d ask for a referral if you haven’t seen one in a while.

It would be quite the coincidence if that were the case. There’s more info here for anyone interested tubal.org/symptoms-of-pts.htm

@FrangipaniBlue thought you might be talking about hysterectomy. I'm certain if you were under the trust I work for they would do it with the problems you've mentioned. Tbh I'm quite shocked you can't get one.

Maybe go back to GP and push for a referral to hospital. The hospital will reject the referral if they agree with your GP but if there is a cancer risk involved I'd be suprised if they did.

Also your GP can apply to the CCG for exceptional funding but you might have to really push for it.

Sounds like a really rubbish situation for you

It is rubbish - last time I asked for a referral (about 12 months ago) I was told I was far to young (36 at the time!)