Anti-choice nurse removes women's IUDs "accidently"
A nurse in New Mexico is being sued after removing a woman's IUD without her permission and then refusing to put it back in. Why? Well this is what nurse Sylvia Olona told her patient:
"Having the IUD come out was a good thing [because] I personally do not like IUDs. I feel they are a type of abortion. I don't know how you feel about abortion, but I am against them. ...What the IUD does is take the fertilized egg and pushes it out of the uterus."
Lovely. And apparently, this isn't the first time Nurse Olona violated women's rights and bodily integrity:
"Everyone in the office always laughs and tells me I pull these out on purpose because I am against them, but it's not true, they accidentally come out when I tug."
Yeah, sure they do. Olona's former patient is suing for battery, constitutional violations and negligence.
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There is no need to tug on the strings in the first place. The patient information specifically says not to pull on the IUD strings.
The staff shouldn't be laughing at her actions (if they really are, we only have Nurse Olona's word there). She should be fired. And the affected women should be given new IUDs free of charge.
By that last line I meant that the office should have immediately offered her another nurse practitioner or doctor who would give her an new IUD free of charge. Those suckers are EXPENSIVE. Four years ago my OBGYN said the device was $350 and the insertion procedure would be another $400. Nothing covered by my insurance. Thank goodness for Planned Parenthood!
At this point just giving a new IUD is obviously too little too late.
Is she covered under Bush's conscience law?
Also, the part about it pushing out fertilized eggs, that's not true is it? I mean it doesn't matter, what she did is wrong either way, but I'm curious.
The actions took place before the conscience law, so she doesn't get a pass there. Under the new law though, I don't think she could be fired for her actions.
The IUD does not push out fertilized eggs. "Push out" implies action. It's presence can inhibit the chance of a fertilized egg implanting, but so can birth control pills that thin the lining of the uterus. What I found baffling about Nurse Olona's position on IUDs is that she thinks they are wrong but birth control pills or Depo shots are not. They all make it harder for the improbable fertilized egg to implant.
I was wondering becuase the conscience law only says you can refuse to perform a procedure, it doesn't seem to cover action (removing the IUD). But if you buy her story that it came out by accident, it seems like the conscience law would cover her refusing to put another one in.
When you put it that way, I don't know. I think the rule would give her something specific to sue for wrongful termination, whereas before the clinic would have obviously been right to fire her. Whether a judge would agree with that interpretation of the new law, I don't know.
You'd have to have a VERY activist judge to interpret this as a "protected" action under the conscience clause. And even then, I don't think that ruling would stand.
The conscience rules protect *refusals to perform* actions which themselves are considered unethical by the professional, so inaction is protected, but not action, which is what is the case here.
That woman is disgusting. I won't even call her a nurse (or RNP or whatever she is).
I hope they fire her, she is sued, loses her license and is put in jail for sexual assault.
For starters.
No, it's not true. The IUD prevents a fertilized egg from implanting. It doesn't "push out" a fertilized egg from the uterus. But morons still think that preventing pregnancy and terminating pregnancy are the same thing, because they are morons.
It's because some morons believe that fertilized egg=pregnant just as consent to sex=consent to pregnancy.
Here are some cites:
For Mirena:
http://www.mirena-us.com/faqs/index.jsp
"How does Mirena® work?
A
There is no single explanation of how Mirena® works. Mirena® may:
Block sperm from reaching or fertilizing your egg
Make the lining of your uterus thin (this may also result in benefits like less menstrual bleeding over time)
Stop the release of your egg from your ovary (but this may not be the way it works in most cases)
It is believed that all 3 of these actions may work together to prevent pregnancy."
For Paraguard (the copper IUD):
http://www.paragard.com/custom/q-and-a
"How does ParaGard® work?
Ideas about how ParaGard® works include preventing sperm from reaching the egg and preventing the egg from attaching (implanting) in the uterus. ParaGard® does not alter your body's natural menstrual cycle."
So, no preventing ovulation with Paraguard and, generally, no thinning of the uterine lining. The device itself makes implantation harder though, just like with Mirena.
And as someone who has gone through the "OMG AM I PREGNANT" horror of having an IUD expel partially...
You can't just shove those suckers back in. And they're EXPENSIVE.
Oh, and they don't come out with an accidental glancing of the finger/whatever else. You have to yank those suckers out.
Appalling. This nurse should be in prison. I'd really like to see her tried for the greater crime of medical assault, rather than just battery, but I suppose the patient's lawyers are making the best case they can.
I hope that nurse rots in jail.
I finally registered just so I could say:
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
Informed consent exists for a reason. This is clearly a violation of informed consent if the patient wasn't warned there was a possibility. Whenever I've had my IUC fussed with, I was warned by my (awesome pro choice) NP that the IUC could expel. But that it would expel on its own, not that she could accidentally yank it out.
THIS IS APPALLING. I'm glad they are taking legal action against her.
Ugh, and the "laugh-it-off" attitude makes the whole thing even worse.
Here is a link to the PP site, regarding IUDs. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/iud-4245.htm
Since IUDs are also very expensive and whatnot, couldn't this nurse also be charged with a felony robbery or whatever? I mean, she did basically steal a couple hundred dollars of medical equipment from this woman's body.
Any one know of a site that tracks all these sorts of court cases? I feel I keep reading about the initialization, but don't get the outcome very often.
If this woman has been repeatedly pulling out women's IUDs "by accident", why the hell hasn't she been fired yet, anyway? What kind of idiot repeatedly pulls IUD strings until they come out? Even her cover story makes no sense.
Also, this has been said a million times before, but why in the world do people take jobs that they refuse to do? I get that they think abortion/contraception/whatever is unethical and want to ban it. I don't agree, but on some level I empathize. I think meat is unethical. That's why I don't work in a slaughterhouse. If I did and refused to slaughter an animal, that would make me a complete moron. Is this really such a difficult concept?
This makes me feel so unsafe, among other things.
I think we all need to have frank talks with all of our medical care providers who have anything to do with our reproductive choices. All this Freedom of Conscience bill crap inspired me to talk to my OBGYN this year. I was pretty sure she was pro-choice since she had mentioned working for Planned Parenthood in the past, but I wanted to make sure. I asked what her policy about birth control is, how she would handle a nurse who questioned my decision to have an IUD, etc. I should have asked this long ago, but I asked what she would do if I became pregnant and felt the need for an abortion.
If I ever have a birth control pill prescription again I will ask the pharmacist BEFORE passing it over if they have any objections to fill the prescription.
Basically, no one is going near my vagina until I know they respect it. It totally sucks that I should feel the need to do this, but there it is.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Someone needs to take out charges of sexual assault and get this woman's nursing license revoked! I'd love to see her need to file as a sex offender as well.
Sometimes I wish that nurses would implant IUDs without telling the patient (I'm looking at you Mrs. Dugger). But I know that's wrong too.
I'd rather someone implant a chip in the CEO of TLC that tells them to quit making shows about families with a million kids that can't support themselves without a television show.
LOL.
That was a personal attack which is unworthy of a feministing commenter. I hope to see better here.
Uh, that's just one step away from forced sterilization...
Jesus H. Christ.
That sounds extremely painful to me. I don't know quite enough details on the mechanics to be sure, but it seems like it would be beastly painful. Besides that, it seems like just yanking it out could be damaging to a person's uterus and that, as well. Anyone know a little more on the subject? 'Cos really, I'm just guessing here.
Anyway, wtf makes a person think "no big deal, I'm just going to put my hand in a stranger's vagina and fuck with her child bearing plans?" Wtf sense of entitlement is this?
They can be yanked out. The pain of them coming out is nothing compared to them going in though.
You definitely need to go on antibiotics afterwards though just to be safe.
Eh. It all depends on the person. I have the Paragard, then had it removed and replaced with a Mirena the same day. No antibiotics needed, very minimal pain.
Well, they gave me antibiotics both going in and coming out. I think it just depends on how paranoid of infection your doctor is.
It may depend on the country/state you live in.
In Europe, at least two countries (UK and NL) go by the following rule: if you have not recently (usually one or two days ago) been tested for STDs (mainly chlamydia) they will have you take antibiotics. Many clinics test you for that reason.
That is one of the most unethical things that I have heard about the health care industry in regards to women. What she was using was BIRTH CONTROL...aye, why can't people distinguish birth control with abortion.
What really struck me was in the comments to the article. A woman mentioned that a nurse refused to take her blood pressure because her medical record stated that she had an abortion years ago. The two things are completely unrelated. Why on earth would someone discriminate now based upon past actions? That is putting the health of the patient in even more danger.
That is one of the most unethical things that I have heard about the health care industry in regards to women. What she was using was BIRTH CONTROL...aye, why can't people distinguish birth control with abortion.
What really struck me was in the comments to the article. A woman mentioned that a nurse refused to take her blood pressure because her medical record stated that she had an abortion years ago. The two things are completely unrelated. Why on earth would someone discriminate now based upon past actions? That is putting the health of the patient in even more danger.
well, in the strictest sense, abortion IS a form of birth control, in that it prevents well, birth. but i understand what you're saying and clearly there is a difference between terminating a pregnancy and preventing a pregnancy in the first place and fundie wackjobs should not be allowed ot pretend there isn't (although both methods fall under the larger umbrella of "birth control", i get how colloquial usage doesn't really acknowledge this).
stories like this are mind-numbing. this nurse should definitely be fired.
As someone who had a couple of IUDs inserted and removed herself, and who has worked in a gyn office, I can tell you that IUDs cannot come out "accidentally" just by grasping the threads on them to trim them. You have to exert a certain amount of traction on those threads to remove an IUD. This was no accident.
This healthcare provider knew that in the past she had "accidentally" removed IUDs when trimming the strings, and she had a duty to inform this patient that this was a possibility. The patient would then have had the opportunity to reconsider her request, or could have sought the services of another provider.
Seriously, I hope this patient goes after this provider tooth and nail. This is unconscionable.
WOW. Just wow. I am going to write my gyno a love letter; there's no chance in hell she'd ever pull this kind of stunt with me. Shoot, she practically fainted from joy at the thought of a young woman actively pursuing effective birth control. I'll KEEP my very expensive uterus jewelry, thankyouverymuch.
Does she check her patients' used tampons, too? Cuz you know, most fertilized eggs don't implant. Proof that God loves abortions.
Not that the victim is at fault here, but since the nurse questioned her choice in the first place I would have asked for another nurse before she even touched me. That being said, it is disgusting that she feels she has this right, doesn't understand how an IUD works (I mean...SHE'S A NURSE!) and that the rest of the clinic laughs at her constantly abusing patients.
On another note, I think it would be better to link to the non-biased (or less biased) version of the story first, just as a general practice: http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/01/14/Woman_Says_Anti-Abortion_Nurse_Removed_IUD_Without_Permission_Then_Lectured_Her.htm
I'm pretty sure it was a nurse-practitioner, not a RN. Nurse practitioners are licensed to insert IUDs. Mine was inserted by one, in fact, and she was excellent at it, as she was the one who did most of the ones put in by that office.
And anyway, don't knock the nurses!
Er, actually I just read that she's a physician's assistant, and that the original article got it wrong.
What I fail to understand is how the nurse ever thought she would get away with such a thing. Did she really think that by calling the IUD an "abortion" that she would convince the patient to a) overlook the pain that the nurse had just put her through, b) ignore the money that had just been lost or c) accept the nurse's point of view without question and change her birth control regime?
I know this is an isolated incident, but the brazen nature of it worries me. Protesters are one thing, but the fact that this woman (assuming that her story is false) is going out of her way to go against her medical training and inflict her beliefs on a stranger is truly frightening.
As someone who just had an IUD inserted, I have to say this story is scary.
What kind of Klown Kollege nursing school did this woman go to? IUDs don't "push out" eggs, that doesn't even make any sense.
I went to a PP in AZ for my IUD, and thank god Bush's stupid law wasn't in effect then because I could have had a bozo like her as a nurse. *shudder*
ouch. i would send her the bill for my abortion.
Besides the obvious concerns about this wingnut's actions (I hope she gets charged with everything they can get to stick), has anyone else noticed her apparent lack of understanding of cause and effect?
"they accidentally come out when I tug"- There's a little string on the IUD to enable you to pull it out- and when you pull it, it comes out! I'm just SO glad she was thorough enough to verify her experiment's results with other patients' IUD's- that's the scientific method.
Seriously, WTF? I really hope nobody falls for the "Whoopsie! I Don't Understand The Effects of 'Pull' on 'String'- My Bad!" defense- that's a slippery slope to a great new defense for shooting people: "It was an accident! I didn't know that trigger thingy actually DID something!"
This may be the most disturbing part:
"Everyone in the office always laughs and tells me I pull these out on purpose because I am against them, but it's not true, they accidentally come out when I tug."
Why haven't her co-workers confronted her about this? Why are they treating it as a joke?!?!
And what I don't get about it either is that even if what she's saying is true (eyeroll), that she really is always doing this on accident, her co-workers and bosses know that she has a problem performing this procedure correctly yet they still let her perform it?!?!
It's like, I work in an office. Say I have a problem changing the ink cartridge in the printer and everytime I try to do it I break the printer. Well after a couple times guess what? My boss isn't going to let me try and change the ink cartridge anymore is he? He's going to get someone else to do that.
OMG. OMG. Speaking from the perspective of somebody who just had hers removed and replaced, by a practitioner who was doing it in a conscientious manner, with my full knowledge, consent, and cooperation -- and still found the process excruciating -- I cannot imagine the pain this woman went through.
I think this nurse should be reported to the state department of health posthaste, and her license removed. I believe the patient was put in actual jeopardy of all sorts of complications. I believe the nurse's actions were nothing short of willful injury to the patient. I am not sure that characterizing this as torture would be too strong.
As an RN, if I heard this nurse talk to a patient like she did in the quote, I would report her to her college (or professional body, I'm not sure who registers in New Mexico) in relation to professional conduct and competency.
I have an IUD to treat my endometriosis. It is not there for birth control: my spouse and I are proudly childfree and he had a vasectomy prior to my diagnosis...This woman would be doing nothing to my "eggs" but would be cursing me to weeks of extreme pain and discomfort. Wonderful.