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 Women today are not fully informed of the risks before tubal ligation and female sterilization. When it is understood that information is withheld about negative physical and hormonal side effects known by the OBGYN medical community as post tubal ligation syndrome (PTLS) or post sterilization syndrome it becomes evident that consent is given under false pretenses.
Information is withheld to persuade women to make the decision that the doctor wants them to make. Withholding information from women at the time of consent is an intentional fraud. Doctors/organizations who state there are no side effects to tubal ligation and other forms of female sterilization are committing intentional fraud and misrepresentation. Withholding information constitutes forced (fraudulent) consent.
"This is a multimillion dollar industry and the boys KNOW they are hurting women…"
~ Whistleblower Dr. Hufnagel, MD
When learning that information was withheld from them, women in the USA today do not immediately equate this to having been a victim of physical assault and battery nor completely understand that they were forcibly sterilized. This might be because they were not carried away forcibly to the operating table kicking and screaming. Women in the USA are led to the operating table for sterilization with a blindfold on.
“I find withholding information from women regarding side effects to tubal ligation a misogynistic and barbaric practice.
I find it as barbaric as female genital mutilation (FGM) as both relate to battery.” ~ Susan Bucher, BSN
There is a long history of forced sterilization in the U.S. and this abuse continues today. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) publicly denies to the public at large that tubal ligations cause conditions such as post tubal ligation syndrome (PTLS) or hormonal imbalances. This issue can be directly compared to the tobacco companies withholding information from the public. The only difference here is when people developed health problems from smoking they were not required to return directly the tobacco people for help and health treatment. When women develop a post sterilization syndrome they have no choice but to return to the same ob-gyn doctors and their organization (the ACOG) that withheld the information from them initially.
This issue could be also compared to the recent NFL’s head injury scandal. Watch: PBS FRONTLINE - League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis (aired 10/08/2013). When viewing this documentary all one needs to do is substitute the words “women” for ‘’players”, “ACOG” for “NFL”, and “post sterilization syndrome” for “concussion”. The adamant denial the NFL had regarding concussions could be compared to the steadfast denial the ACOG has towards post sterilization syndrome. Other similarities could be compared to how bias studies and research has been created and presented and how whistleblowers have been treated.
Tubal ligation and female sterilization is known by the ACOG and their members to cause hormonal imbalances and other negative side effects. The ACOG does not deny that there is research and studies that show and prove TL side effects such as hormonal changes and pelvic pain occur in epidemic proportions. Side effects have been proven through clinical research/studies, and have been reported by health professionals and victims who have experienced side effects first hand after sterilization for decades. The ACOG is well aware of the cases and scientific reports, yet they refuse to publicly acknowledge the scientific findings or share this information with women. If publicly asked about post tubal syndrome or the proving studies they state that the studies are "unproven", have been "disproven", or that the this issue is "controversial" …Yes, they are right... it is controversial!
The ACOG calls themselves, "The Women's Health Care Physicians" advocating (the) “highest standards of practice”. They have “ethics committees”. They are to have women's best interest in mind… (physical health and otherwise). They are to "watch out" for women and protect women's health… but then you learn that the ACOG and their members withholds this information from women undergoing tubal ligations and from the public at large. No one is informed before or afterwards.
The ACOG and their members know that when tubal ligation surgeries and sterilizations are performed that many of the women will be returning for second and third surgeries such as ablations, D&C’s (dilation and curettage) and hysterectomies because of side effects from the sterilization. The very same organization/ob-gyn doctors that withheld the information and profited by doing so then go on to profit again from the original consumer fraud. Women are not informed at the time of their sterilization that the surgery or procedure could create such conditions that would necessitate such treatments. Women are told at the time of these second and third surgical procedures that their sterilization had in no way caused their health condition that necessitated such radical procedures. This creates a cycle of abuse.
The CPTwomen is not anti-tubal. We are against the withholding of information by the ACOG/doctors/medical community in order to force consent. We believe that tubal ligations should be presented as a choice to women as a form of birth control but with full consent which would disclose the risk of sterilization syndrome.
The goal of the Coalition for Post Tubal Ligation Women (CPTwomen) is to put in place proper informed consent laws so that women may be properly and fully informed of all the known and possible risks before consenting to tubal ligation or female sterilization. In doing so we will be taking the final step towards ending this cycle of abuse.
“Informed consent is a right, NOT an option”
www.Tubal.org
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