Should Addicts Make Permanent Reproduction Decisions? | The Doctors

Children rights advocate and attorney Areva Martin and OB/GYN Dr. Nita Landry wonder if Barbara’s sterilization option through Project Prevention is taking things too far. What happens when women and men get clean and sober?

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[verolly]

If a women has 5+ kids, do they really need more?!!!

[kaleeevans]

If she's giving them the option to choose, then what's the problem? Apparently it's only 1/4 of them who choose to get them tied in the first place.

[ethereallioness]

We could also work on the reasons why there is so much drug addiction in the first place, like abusive upbringings, poverty, mental illness, violence in communities, but that would actually require investing the money, effort, and time into addressing these complex issues.

[samanthavanscoder]

If a drug addict can't make a simple medical decision why are they allowed to run around with free government money, six kids and no supervision? Also, why is it so important to give birth? They already have children probably, and there are plenty of children who need loving homes.

[tigeress]

I totally support Barbara's wanting to get addicts to get sterilized! Look at all those kids who have mental illness, physical illness, and neurological illnesses because of their parents. All babies should be born to healthy, drug free and alcohol free parents! They are doing the right thing, because most addicts probably will forget to take their brith control or even do the birth control in their arm. Getting sterilized is the right thing for them and more importantly, those innocent babies that may be brought into the world.

[Loveroffood]

My honest opinion of all this is going to watch those videos of those little children going through withdrawals and they're shaking and crying in the crying is a horrible High screeching and your heart just goes out to them and you wonder why the mothers are not being sterilized.

[stephanieleach]

I was told that due to horrible childhood incidences I couldn't have kids. Well I became an addict in my late 20s. I found out when I was 32 I was pregnant and yes my son was born addicted and that was the worst pain I've ever felt watching the docs administer morphine into my 3 day old son. And yes I struggle with addiction. Coincidentally I got pregnant AGAIN two years later. Proud to say he wasnt born addicted and no I didn't use while I was pregnant. Not all women are the same so all women don't deserve the same treatment.

[laurajones]

This sets a very, very dangerous precedent. Paying drug addicts to be sterilized, when they are not in a state to give informed consent, is very, very, very scary. I understand this woman’s vision, but the way she is going about it is very wrong. Long-term birth control? Yes. Compensated sterilization while in a potentially altered state? As a patient advocate, this is scary.

[RavenVonK]

I want to agree with her somewhat too but this is hard. It's not fair to the women who could get help and avoid death by overdose. Not to mention future children if they decide for a short term sterilization. Those children deserve to live in our future. Also no one in this video is talking about drug addicted babies that go on to live long, healthy and productive lives like myself. Do I like the fact that I have a few developmental problems? No. But can I move on with my life and out of life what I can the best? Yes.

[aprilchristine]

These doctors good grief 🤮 they yell at her the entire program. They are all annoying.