Informed Consent: Not Just for Abortion

The hypocrisy of informed consent is much more insidious than we realize, I think. This is because it's already imposed on women who want birth control.

When I was 25, I knew I wouldn't be having kids for a while. At least 5 years, and I was good with that. I was kind of bad at remembering to take my daily Pill, too. I would forget to take it at least 2 or 3 times a month. While not incredibly risky, it was still a little nerve-wracking. So I started looking into a better solution, one that didn't require me to remember to take a pill at the same time every day.

After talking with my gynecologist, I settled on Mirena. She talked with me about it and gave me a pamphlet during my normal visit. I told them I wanted it. They told me that I couldn't get it then because it required a consultation before getting it inserted.

I remember being really confused by this. Why can't I just get it now? I have to go think about it... more? As though I hadn't already thought about it enough? I had considered my options and brought it up with my doctor and talked about it. But I can't have it now? That. Is. Stupid.

So I made my appointment and came in, expecting to have it inserted. Now, I don't know if this is a fuck-up on the doctor's office's part or standard procedure, but they had me go through the consultation. Again. With a full co-pay, and nothing but a 5 minute discussion about the damn thing with the doctor again.

So I made another appointment. I paid the roughly $250 that my insurance didn't cover (that still came out to less money than buying oral contraceptives for 5 years) and had it inserted. And aside from the first day of pain, I haven't given it another thought since. Seriously, this IUD rules.

But what the hell was that waiting period about? Did I really need to go home and think about it between the consultation and the insertion? Why am I not allowed to make that decision immediately? What the fuck?

Now I realize I was the victim of the infantilizing regime that thinks women don't know how to weigh options or make decisions. BUT WHAT IF I SUDDENLY WANT BABIES IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?! Maybe I need a week to think about it!!!!! Fuck that noise. I did think about it and I don't need extra time, because I know how to make decisions for myself, no thanks to Republicans.

And now that I've had 3 years to contemplate the experience, I wonder how it would work for someone who isn't as lucky as me. Someone lucky enough to be able to afford 2 extra co-pays, and $250 of birth control in a lump sum. Someone who has readily available transportation. Someone who can leave work for a doctor's appointment at will, no questions asked.

The right-wing war on abortion is not just a war on abortion (although it is a very large and important piece of the puzzle). It was part of a larger war on people who 1) have sex at all, ever, and 2) can become pregnant. The right-wing psychos seizing control of state legislatures (and those pretending to be right-wing psychos so they can stay in the federal legislature) don't trust people to make their own reproductive decisions and don't want them to be able to make their own decisions. They know what's good for us, and they're going to make us behave how they want, even if it kills us. Especially if it kills us.