Guest post by Douwe Verkuyl

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Committee for the Ethical Aspects of Human Reproduction and Women’s Health believes that there is never an indication for a tubal occlusion (TO) to be performed at the time of caesarean section or following a vaginal delivery in cases where this sterilisation has not been discussed with the woman in an earlier phase of her pregnancy.  This applies even if there is a uterus rupture.

But what if a mother of 5 children, living in rural Africa near a Catholic clinic, unexpectedly needs referral to a government hospital because of arrested labour, and faces a journey of at least 4 hours over a dirt road?  Does the Committee’s recommendation against belated TO counselling still apply if referring establishments have deliberately ignored its advice to counsel pregnant women early in pregnancy about the option of a concurrent sterilisation in the event that a caesarean section is needed?  Catholic institutions – which are often the only health facility for miles around – not only ignore this advice, but also fail to assist a woman with “sinful” modern contraception after she has returned with a scarred uterus.  In many Western, developed countries, Catholic contraception doctrines are mostly inconvenient, guilt-provoking and expensive.  In rural Africa, Latin America and the Philippines, they often kill.

Imagine a 37-year-old woman in labour in a well-equipped and staffed Doctors Without Borders (DWB) emergency hospital which happened to be located near her home.  She has previously given birth, with some difficulty, six times at home, and now there is a full civil war.  The doctors detect foetal distress.  They think there might be a 10%-30% chance her child will be damaged or die before it is born.  On the other hand, with the uncertain political situation – consider that on 17 June a DWB hospital was bombed in Sudan – and poor infrastructure, it might be the case that her chance of dying from a uterine scar during a subsequent labour is around 30%, and the probability that she has continuous access to reliable reversible contraception for the next 13 years is zero.  If she would choose to have a TO with a caesarean section that would solve the quandary.  Is it really unethical to ask her, or unethical not to give her that choice?

Read the full paper in the latest edition of the JME here.