Man cannot get vasectomy without (estranged) wife's approval - Has to wait until after divorce

ash_park · 2017-10-28T23:17:37+00:00

mybodymychoice

Wait, that's only for women

furchfur · 2017-10-28T23:41:14+00:00

I think this happens quite a lot in the USA. In the UK a doctor would not be allowed to ask for permission of a wife. If he did ask he could be struck of the UK medical register. A doctor is not allowed to disclose medical issues between even a husband and wife.

In the UK it is very straight forward to get a vasectomy.

ponchato · 2017-10-28T23:03:17+00:00

tl;dr guy has 4 kids and doesn't want any more, tries to get vasectomy, doctor says "no can do without approval from wife" (wife is estranged and they're getting a divorce - that signature won't happen), guy goes to 4 other doctors who all refuse him. Finally after nearly a year, once the divorce is finalized, he can get the procedure done.

"Why did the doctors refuse him?"

Because urologists have been, successfully, sued by the spouse of their patient for tubal ligation or vasectomies.

"So what's the issue?"

The issue is 1) the responses on the original thread with basically no concern for this guy's bodily autonomy, unlike in female-victim threads and 2) no general response from the public, again, unlike in female-victim cases.

Could you imagine what would happen if a doctor refused to perform an abortion for a woman without the consent of her husband? The nation would lose its collective mind. But if a guy wants to make a choice about his own body and his reproductive rights... you know, eh. He's just a guy, who cares?

mrwhibbley · 2017-10-28T23:06:23+00:00

I had the same problem. I went to one doctor that was going to do a vasectomy and a required my wife's signature. I never ended up going through it anyway. It wouldn't of been a problem, my wife would've signed. I just felt it was unbelievable that they would've required a signature

rocelot7 · 2017-10-29T01:58:30+00:00

My main issue is that a doctor may feel it unethical for a partner to unilaterally sterilize themself. I don't think we should force doctors to perform procedures they disagree with, or put them at risk, or even just damage a relationship. But at the same time its their body, and bodily autonomy should only be prescribed to who inhabits such body.

I do think there is a discussion about this, but this is a relationship (more accurately a marriage) issue. Not a gender one, at least it should be.

samsc2 · 2017-10-29T02:04:09+00:00

Don't even understand why he bothered to tell any of the doctors he was married. It's none of their concern.

Title	Man cannot get vasectomy without (estranged) wife's approval - Has to wait until after divorce
Author	ponchato
Upvotes	43
Comments	36
Date	October 28, 2017 10:58 PM UTC (8 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/79d6s7/man_cannot_get_vasectomy_without_estranged_wifes/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/man-cannot-get-vasectomy-without-estranged-wifes.1174651 https://theredarchive.com/post/1174651

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mybodymychoice