london —
A British woman who was refused permanent contraception through the UK’s National Health Service on the grounds that she might regret the decision has won her case with the country’s health ombudsman after a 10-year battle.
Oxfordshire psychologist Leah Spasova spent years trying to get sterilized on the NHS, at the same time her provider was funding a man’s vasectomy.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which investigates complaints about the NHS, has found that local health authorities are denying funding for sterilization to women rather than men.
Ms Spasova brought the complaint after her request for funding for sterilization was refused by the Integrated Care Board (ICB), which covers areas in southern England.
“I’ve been inquiring about sterilization for 10 years, just going back and forth between services,” Spasova said.
“The ICB subsequently rejected my request for funding.”
In its own investigation into the ICB’s approach, the organization found that it “does not follow the widely recognized principle that clinicians provide advice but ultimately patients make decisions about their bodies.”
The ombudsman determined that the ICB does not routinely fund sterilization procedures for women, citing cost concerns and the risk that Ms. Spasova would regret the procedure as reasons for the refusal, but those factors do not apply to men seeking vasectomies.
“Rejecting my request for sterilization on the grounds of regret means that they are responsible for my feelings,” Spasova said.
PHSO found that the ICB’s approach was unfair, inconsistent and based on subjective reasoning.
It also found that women were not given the same opportunities as men to make informed decisions about sterilization.
Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman Paula Sussex said there were concerns the health service was failing patients.
“This case shows the power of the patient’s voice. Leah complained about her experience and the ICB is currently reviewing its sterilization policy,” she said.
Spasova called the ICB’s policy “completely discriminatory.”
“Inequalities in access to permanent contraception continue to widen, and concerns about equity and respect for women’s bodily autonomy remain unresolved.”
The NHS authority, which currently oversees health services for people living in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, said it had accepted the PHSO findings and introduced new policies to ensure female sterilization is available to patients who meet the criteria.
Female sterilization involves blocking a woman’s fallopian tubes and is more than 99% effective. This is comparable to a vasectomy, a permanent method of contraception for men, but sterilization for women requires a more invasive surgery and is not as easy to reverse.
