Original Post Summary:

I had an appointment today to hopefully schedule a hysterectomy or tubal ligation. After discussing everything with the doctor, he told me he wouldn’t do the surgery — because I’m gay.

Since I only sleep with women, he claimed I wasn’t at risk of getting pregnant and therefore didn’t need sterilization. When I brought up past sexual assault, he told me, “You’re 30. You can protect yourself now.”

I asked, “So if I started sleeping with men tomorrow, you’d schedule me for a tubal?”
He replied, without hesitation or irony: “Yes.”

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My Response:

Your doctor’s refusal is a clear act of discrimination and sexism.

If it were me, I would have calmly and firmly said:

“Alright. I request that you please record in my chart that you are refusing to provide the necessary and requested medical care and procedure due to my sexual orientation. Please include that you stated you would perform the procedure if I ‘started sleeping with men tomorrow.’

I will wait in the lobby until you or your receptionist confirm that this has been electronically entered into my patient record. I’ll also be documenting this discussion myself. Thank you for your time. Have a good day.”

And then I would report and file a complaint with the relevant medical licensing or regulatory board.

What happened to you is inexcusable. Bodily autonomy should not hinge on who we sleep with.