Female contraceptive methods

Doctors have refused to perform tubal ligation procedure on the young mother, Holly Maitland 22, stating that she is too young, despite have three unplanned pregnancies in the space of three years. She is now campaigning to get her tubes "tied".

 

Holly is determined to undergo the method of female sterilisation known as tubal ligation. Her husband Jonathan, aged 30, also plans to undergo a vasectomy.

However, both private and public specialists have refused to perform the procedure on several occasions because they say they are too young, despite her GP giving their full support.

 

Holly, from Queensland, is currently 27 weeks pregnant and has launched a petition asking for the Australian Prime Minister to give women the power and right to make decisions about their health.

 

She said: "We don’t want to risk another failed contraception because we’ve obviously already had three. It’s not a decision we’ve just come up with. I’ve sat down and gone through the pros and cons.I know that in 10 years’ time I can’t walk into the doctor’s office and say, ‘I want my tubes untied’.”

 

During her previous pregnancies, Holly experiences complicated labours and gestational diabetes and worries that she may suffer the same or worse.

 

She had only been in a relationship with her now husband, Jonathan, for four months when she first fell pregnant. The relationship has been strained ever since with their struggle to find a contraceptive method that is effective fot them.

 

She says that she always took her contraceptive pill correctly at the same time every day and even set an alarm to remember it, keeping the pill always by her phone so as to never forget. 

However, she still fell pregnant and now together with her husband, is becoming desperate.

 

She said: “We’ve now got to find a bigger car to fit three seats in it, then there’s the house. We’re currently living with my in-laws at the moment for the simple reason we have to find a bigger house. It’s too much on my body as well.”

 

Despite Holly claiming that a vasectomy was ruled out for her husband at their first appointment in Cairns Hospital in search of contraceptive advice, Director Dr Samantha Scherman said that there are many other less invasive, reversible options for the couple than tubal ligation such as the vasectomy. 

 

The director said: “It is very unusual to conduct a tubal ligation on a 22-year-old as there is significant evidence through many studies that there is an extremely high likelihood the decision will be regretted in the future. Reversing tubal ligation requires reconnecting the Fallopian tubes and success is not guaranteed. Tubal ligation is considered to be a permanent procedure.”

 

Holly has now begun to contact ministers as part of her campaign as well as using social networks and an online petition.

“I started it thinking it’s not going to go far, but if it helps at least one person out I’ll be happy. I may be only 22 but I’m not stupid, it’s wrong.”

 

She has already collected over 300 signatures for her petition and the case is being revised by the Head Obstetrician at her hospital.

 

Online she posted: “He is very saddened to hear that I was refused without any clarification of my history or the doctor reading the reports. One step closer!”

 

Remember contraceptives have a very high rate of success, but every person and every case is different. Make sure to find the correct method for you.