SecondUniverse (she/her/they)May 3

20% of women "might" regret a sterilization procedure, so the NHS often denies access.

1) The "regret" bogeyman is rolled out for any procedure deviating from social norms. For example, gender affirming care has an almost 0% regret rate, but "regret" is still used to gatekeep care. The rate of regret is not the factor. It is resistance to the idea people can choose not to follow the "norm".

2) People can choose things in life knowing they might regret them. The possibility of regret is part of our freedom. Only the person undergoing the procedure can decide if the risk is acceptable to them.

3) A life with regrets is not a lesser life. A life paternalistically shielded from regret is a diminished life.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/01/female-sterilisation-nhs-access-questions

#trans #womensRights #ukpol

Woman’s fight for sterilisation raises questions over access to procedure

Critics say women face unequal treatment but others say tighter controls reflect legitimate medical concerns

The Guardian
Show threadColette
@SecondUniverse I found the way to get round this (50 years ago now!) was to go private - the best £150 I have ever spent, absolutely no regrets, ever. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that for me it was the right thing to do. Thank goodness I didn't listen to those who thought they knew me better than myself.
May 3 at 9:32pmWeb
Show threadLieschen MüllerMay 3
@bellinghwoman @SecondUniverse that sounds really nice, sadly it costs quite a lot now (though tbf I am unsure how much 150£ was 50 years ago)
Show threadColetteMay 3
@LieschenrelleuM @SecondUniverse The Bank of England's calculator reckons today's equivalent would be approx £1200. Seen other values up to £1600, but that's just the inflation of the base value, doesn't take into account other inflationary factors.